American Dragon: Haley Long Season One
by Fudogg
Summary: Spin-off/sequel to Season Three. Nine years after the events in "Forever Am Drag", Haley has trouble dealing with being the American Dragon.
1. Chapter 1

American Dragon: Haley Long (Season One)

**A/N: Here it is: my spin-off/sequel. So, this will be an 18 chapter/episode season/story, and unless this has a real lack of hits and reviews, I can guarantee at least two seasons/stories. It depends on how many ideas I have.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own American Dragon or any of the characters. Disney does. The only things I own are the episode ideas and my original characters, which there are too many to name. **

Chapter/Episode 1: Pilot

In a dark and run down cabin on the edge of Manhattan, there stood a large black cauldron in the middle of the room; the cauldron was bubbling with boiling water as footsteps rang out and a young man clad in a blood-red Huntsclan uniform and silk mask appeared in front of the cauldron. The young Huntsclan member chuckled evilly as he reached down and pulled open a black garbage plastic bag and pulled out a large salt container.

"It's time…" The Huntsclan member muttered as he pulled the container open and proceeded to pour all the salt into the cauldron. "Now my kind will return…" As the Huntsclan member watched the water start to change color, he started to laugh evilly. However, his laughter came to an end when the water stopped bubbling. "What?" The Huntsclan member demanded as he looked at the water. "No!"

With a roar of rage, the Huntsclan member grabbed hold of the cauldron and tossed it over. The Huntsclan member turned around to seethe as the potion spilled all over the ground. As the potion started to sink through the cracks, the Huntsclan member calmed himself down and reached once again reached into the plastic bag before pulling out a piece of paper.

"Well…" the Huntsclan member looked at the paper. "It looks like I will have to get another brand…someplace else."

BLACKOUT

_Opening:_

_The year is 2017. The world has changed for the worst since magical creatures were forced out of hiding nine years ago. The Dragon Council has done everything in their power to keep the peace. Unfortunately, that has done little. There are still riots in the streets and there are still violent attacks against both magical and normal beings alike. _

_It also isn't easy living in this world when you are related to someone who is deemed a traitor of the Magical World, and when there are few people who think otherwise. Yet still, the Council depends on me to fulfill my duty to protect the magical creatures from dangerous threats…_

_My name is Haley Long, and I am the American Dragon._

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Eighteen year old Haley Long was lying on her bed, drooling onto her pillow as the sun started to shine through her blinds. Haley's eyes suddenly shot open and she jumped up with a yelp as there was beeping noise coming from a device on her nightstand that was next to her futuristic alarm clock. A second later, out of that device, a hologram popped out omitting the face of her father, Jonathan Long.

"Haley!" he exclaimed with a wide smile on his face. "You're going to be late for school! Come on down for breakfast! I'm pouring the milk onto your cereal! Countdown to soggy—"

Haley groaned with annoyance as she slammed her hand over the device, shutting off the hologram. "I hate that darn thing…" Haley groaned as she got up from her bed and started un-buttoning her pajamas.

LINE BREAK

Haley yawned as she stepped off of the last step of the stairs and into the kitchen where her mother and father were. Her father, Jonathan Long, had aged a little bit, only having a few wrinkles and more grey in his hair. Her mother, Susan, had also not aged that much, she only had a little bit of gray in her hair. Haley herself had filled out quite a bit; she was now about five feet tall and her black hair with purple streaks was down and went down to her back, she wore a pink top, a short purple skirt and black, knee-high leather high-heeled boots. The scar that she had received when she was nine was faded, but still visible.

"Morning, Haley-hoo!" Jonathan welcomed her, a holographic newspaper in front of him. Haley nodded as she pulled out a chair and sat down, her mother putting down her breakfast in front of her.

"Hurry up and eat, Haley." Susan told her daughter. "You don't want to be late for school. Plus, we think it's best if you don't fly to school. It will only get you into more trouble."

"They already know that I'm a dragon, mom." Haley muttered as she ate her cereal as quickly as she could. As soon as she was done, Haley got from her chair and walked over to the door where she picked up her backpack before throwing open the door. "Besides, I need to get to school on time, Mom. I need to get there early. If I'm late just once, that will only be one more thing that the teachers will hate me for." She turned to face her mother with a rather pathetic look in her eyes. "Don't you think staying on their good sides is important?"

Susan's heart sank as she looked at her daughter's sad look. "Well…" Susan started, but then smiled. "Okay! Go for it!"

"Thanks, Mom!" Haley's face suddenly brightened up, and she opened the door before stepping outside and closing the door behind her.

As soon as she closed the door behind her, Haley took a look at the morning. There were overturned old-fashioned cars and hover-cars with their windows smashed. Sighing, Haley allowed a bright light to surround her, and when the light was gone, a large snake-like pink dragon took off into the air.

LINE BREAK

Haley flew until she caught sight of her school, Millard Fillmore High School, where her older had once attended but never graduated from. As Haley landed in front of the school, she heard a loud screech and a thud. Turning her head, Haley saw a girl with long brown hair cowering behind the stairs of the school. "Please don't hurt me!" the person begged.

At this statement, Haley heard a loud cackle as a group of about eight girls walked by. There were three in the front, a girl with very dark brown hair and a cheerleading uniform, one who was tall with short blonde hair and who wore tight jeans, a green blouse and a red, large coat and Olivia Mears. "Hi, Haley…" Olivia mocked in a sweet voice.

"Puh-lease, Belden!" the tall, blonde one giggled. "If she were to eat you, it would be one less loser at this school!"

"Yeah!" the cheerleader added. "It would be like, Darwin's Plan!"

"Darwin's Theory, Dena…" Haley rolled her eyes.

"Ooh…" the blonde said, mocking. "I didn't know that dragons were smart! Did you girls?" This got a "No." from both Dena and Olivia, making Haley growl in annoyance.

As soon as the group of mean girls had passed by, Haley reverted to her human form and walked over to the stairs, making the girl start to shake. "Leah…" Haley said softly. "I'm not going to hurt you…"

Haley was about to extend her hand to show the girl that she meant no harm, but before she could even finish extending it, the bell rang out. "Shoot!" Haley exclaimed as she turned and rushed into the building.

LINE BREAK

"Okay, class…" Haley, along with Olivia and the other two mean girls sat in Mrs. O'Yrael English classroom. O'Yrael sat on her desk, looking at her copy of the book they were reading. "Now, I assume you all read the first twenty chapters of my book about how bratty teenagers are…"

"Yes, ma'am…" the students replied in a monotonous way.

"Good…" O'Yrael said as she stood up. "So, who can tell me what I think of all you? How about you, Dragon Girl?"

"Uh…" Haley replied, trying to sound like she was actually thinking about it. "We're brats?"

"Very good…" the teacher said sweetly. "Now, why don't you tell me what I think about your kind?"

"That wasn't in the book!" Haley declared, completely annoyed.

"Wrong!" the teacher grinned evilly. "Do you mind telling me what I think about magical creatures, Miss Tatlock?"

The girl with the red jacket and short blonde hair stood up with a wide grin and spoke: "I think that you find them evil and dangerous beasts that should all be locked up, ma'am."

"Very good, Sierra…" Mrs. O'Yrael replied as Dena and Olivia giggled and pointed at Haley, who lowered her head in shame. "It just goes to show that humans are smarter than dragons."

"So true…" Olivia piped in. "I mean, there is no way that a dragon could be smarter than I am. She must have cheated on her tests off of me back when we were younger."

"That is the only logical explanation…" Sierra concurred.

Growling in annoyance, Haley got up from her seat and grabbed her backpack before heading to the door. "And where do you think you are going, Miss Long?" O'Yrael demanded, turning around from her seat at her desk. "Class has just started. If you want to leave, you're going to have to take a pass. Don't worry…" She reached for a drawer on her desk.

Haley watched as O'Yrael opened the drawer and pulled out a lanyard, which she started to hand to Haley. As Haley looked down at it, her blood nearly boiled. On the lanyard was a picture, actually a poor drawing of a dragon with the words "Dragon's Pass" above the picture. Haley looked back up at her teacher as she continued speaking. "The student body thinks that it would be best if you had a separate pass. Seeing as…you are the only dragon…"

As she listened to her teacher, Haley tried to control her feelings of disbelief and anger, but she was failing miserably and she was now shaking. Haley reached out and snatched the pass from her teacher before she turned and opened the door, closing it behind her.

As Haley walked down the hall, she passed by Leah, who was drinking out of the water faucet. As Leah saw the girl pass her, she looked up, the water on her chin dripping down to the hall pass around her neck. Leah whimpered before she got down and forced herself underneath the fountain, cowering in fear.

Haley ignored the girl and made her way to the nearest recycling tube. Forcing the pass into the tubes, Haley continued to walk down the halls as the recycling tube started to recycle the pass.

LINE BREAK

Haley pushed through the doors of the school and took a deep breath before she allowed her pink dragon form to appear and took off into the air.

Haley looked all around her as she flew towards Canal Street Electronics, closing her eyes as the wind hit her in the face. As the wind started to die down, Haley opened her eyes and looked down just in time to catch sight of someone running down an alley, only to trip. Haley didn't even have to think twice about helping the person. Swooping down, Haley landed in the alley and gasped when she saw the person. The colors of the clothes that he wore…

The man looked up, and Haley's worst fears were realized. The man had a Huntsclan mask over his head. The man gasped as well, and he reached back and pulled his Huntsclan staff from behind him. Tapping it on the ground, the Huntsclan member disappeared in a bright green light, taking his fallen goods with him and leaving Haley alone in the alley.

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Haley panted as she flew towards Canal Street Electronics as quick as she could. Haley blinked as the shop finally came into view and she started to descend to the ground. Setting her feet on the sidewalk, Haley allowed her dragon form to fade away as her human form replaced it. Haley took a step toward the shop, only to grunt as she walked into an invisible force; as Haley stepped back, she could see the outline of a large, green force-field.

As soon as Haley registered what had just happened, she growled in annoyance before she opened her mouth and shouted: "SUN!" Haley then crossed her arms, tapping her fingers against her left shoulder until the force-field vanished a couple seconds later.

Haley walked right through the door of the shop and made her way to the back where she could see her dragon master, Sun Park, who was talking to Fred Nerk. Sun had not aged very much; at age 35, the only change in Sun was the length of her black hair, which was now short enough to match the length of her hair when she was in her dragon form. Fred Nerk, on the other hand, had grown into a tall and strong 24 year old; now a member of the Council, Nerk now wore long yellow robes.

"Dragon Park, please!" Nerk appeared to be begging.

"I can't do that." Sun replied. "I have a duty to Haley. If I were to go along with what you wanted me to do, then who would continue training Haley in my absence?"

"It's not that I don't care about the American Dragon's training, ma'am…" Nerk said. "But Councilor Fachtna has given me orders. With Councilor Omina's passing, the last of the Council of our time is no longer living. We are short one councilor. We need you."

"I told you before, Councilor Nerk…" Sun ended the conversation with the most polite voice she could manage. "But my answer still stays the same."

"The Council will not be pleased…"

Sun was about to respond, but before she could speak, she sensed Haley's presence at the doorway. Haley entered the room as Sun turned her attention to her. "What's going on?" Haley asked.

"Nothing, miss…" Nerk answered her question as he snapped his fingers and transformed into his yellow dragon form. With a farewell of "Dragon Park…", Haley watched as Nerk lifted off of the ground and flew out of the room, and as she heard the ringing of the bell over the door, she turned to face Sun.

"Sun, we have a problem!" Haley exclaimed.

"Haley, why aren't you in school?" Sun asked as she walked over to the wall and pressed a green button, and Haley could hear the buzzing sound of the magic as the green force-field appeared over the shop once again. As soon as she had done that, Sun walked over to the couch and sat down.

"It's that Mrs. O'Yrael…" Haley grumbled. "I swear, she's worse than Rotwood. I just had to get out of that class. But Sun, there's something I have to tell you!"

"What is it?"

"While I was flying here, I saw something." Haley told her. "I flew down to help this person, but…he's a slayer!"

Sun chuckled lightly as she got up. "Haley, I'm sure you were just imagining things." Sun told her gently. "The only Huntsclan member still in existence is Rose, remember? They're all gone."

"But Sun…"

"Haley…" Sun smiled a soft, gentle, caring smile. "Trust me. You don't have to worry about the Huntsclan anymore. Okay? So, since you're here, why don't we get an early start on your training?"

LINE BREAK

It was completely dark outside by the time Haley was done with dragon training, and although she couldn't explain it, she felt like there was someone other than Sun who was watching her. Currently, Haley was lying on the floor panting from exhaustion as Sun got up from her meditative position on the floor. "Okay Haley…" Sun said. "You can go home."

Haley got up from the floor and grabbed her backpack before she walked over to the exit. Pushing the door open, Haley felt the cold air brush against her face, and she closed her eyes and took a deep breath before she opened her eyes again and started to walk home. As the young dragon was passing by a dark alley, something suddenly caught her attention. Turning her head, Haley could see a dark figure sprinting down the alley.

Narrowing her eyes, Haley called out: "Dragon up!" As soon as her dragon form had appeared, Haley shot down the alley, before stopping at a turn where the person had his or her back to Haley. "Who are you?" Haley demanded as she lowered herself to the ground.

The dark person whirled around, and Haley recognized the Huntsclan mask. Hatred flashed through the Huntsclan member's eyes as he reached from behind and pulled out his staff and Haley's eyes widened as she saw a lethal blast of green plasma coming right for her. With a yelp, Haley ducked and the blast whizzed right passed her and hit a water-pipe on the closest building to her. Her confidence returned, Haley got back up and laughed.

"You missed me, freak!" she declared, but her eyes soon widened as she heard a hissing sound from behind her. Turning around, Haley yelled out as the pipe broke, high-pressured water shooting out towards her. The water smacked into the young dragon, and she was thrown from her feet and towards the Huntsclan member. Haley prepared herself for slamming into him, but the Huntsclan member leapt from his spot on the ground and grabbed hold of the edge of the roof. The clan member then planted his feet on the wall and pushed himself up, continuing off into the night as soon as he got onto the roof.

As soon as the water had died off and stopped assaulting Haley, the young dragon fell to her knees, trying to catch her breath. As soon as she had recovered, she growled and shot up to the roof. As she lowered her feet to the roof, she looked around, disappointed to see that there was no sign of the Huntsclan member. Haley sighed and was just about to start her flight home when she suddenly felt something slam into her; Haley slammed to the ground, unable to get up as something, or someone, held her down.

Haley rolled over onto her back and curled her claws around the arms of the person holding her down. As she looked up to the face of her attacker, she expected to see the Huntsclan mask staring down on her, but Haley was instead surprised to see that her attacker, was a large dragon, actually dressed in clothes, which were all black. Finishing off the dragon's outfit was a large sock, which was pulled over his head, covering his face completely except for two eyeholes that were cut out and a hole cut out so his snout could be seen. He looked absolutely ridiculous.

"Who are you and what…" he started to interrogate, but he stopped mid-sentence when he got a good look at his catch. Getting off of Haley, he stood up and lowered his head. "I am so…", but before he could finish speaking, Haley rammed into him, pinning him down on the roof.

"I think the better question is what you are doing here!" Haley growled. "And by the way, I already know who you are. You're a felon!"

"Felon?" The dragon looked amused. "Miss, please. I am no felon. I am simply doing my job. I am looking after the balance of the world."

"Exactly…" Haley pressed down harder on the dragon. "You're a vigilante…"

"I suppose you could say that…" the dragon smiled. "But if I am, then what does that make you? American Dragon…"

This surprised Haley, so much in fact that she moved away from the masked dragon, allowing him to sit up. "How do you know who I am?" Haley asked.

"What other dragons patrol this neighborhood?" the vigilante dragon asked. "Besides, the American Dragon is the only dragon that I know of that has a slash mark over her eye…"

At these words, Haley turned around and put a claw up to the place where she had been attacked nine years prior. Lowering her claw, Haley turned back around to face the vigilante, a stern look on her face. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't report you to the Dragon Council."

"I wouldn't do that…" the vigilante dragon smiled again. "Do you really think that you can handle all the responsibility? Sure, maybe you could if the Magical World was still a secret to the humans, but it isn't anymore. Things have been bad, and unfortunately, they almost always get worse before they get better…"

"What are you?" Haley demanded. "A psychic or something?"

"No…" the dragon's smile dropped. "Just a dragon that has been around; in my experiences, things have been bad in my time, and they have not gotten any better in twenty years. You're in over your league, kid." As he finished speaking, the dragon lifted off the ground and hovered in the air. "Besides…" he added. "You know nothing about me!"

Haley watched as the dragon flew off into the night, instantly making her mind up on what to do next…

LINE BREAK

Haley barged through the door of Canal Street Electronics, the bell above her ringing out. Still in her dragon form, Haley lowered herself onto the ground and walked over to the back. "Sun?" Haley asked as she walked into the back. "Sun, are you in here?" Still, she got no answer. "Sun?" she tried again. "Sun? Fu Dog? Are either of you here?"

Suddenly, the light turned on, and Haley's heart dropped as she saw the Huntsclan member standing right by the lamp. "Hello, dragon…" he mocked her. "Your filthy master and your filthy magical dog aren't here, but they're safe…"

"Where are they?" Haley demanded, immediately taking a fighting stance.

"I told you, you stupid creature…" the Huntsclan member repeated. "They're safe, and they're waiting for you…"

"How did you find us?"

"Try to be intelligent, you dumb beast…" The Huntsclan member chuckled. "I tricked you. I knew that as soon as I teleported away, you would leave. So, I teleported back to the alley, just as you were leaving mind you, and followed you…here. You dragons really are too predictable. After I led you away from here, I came back here and here we are…"

"Jeez…" Haley rolled her eyes. "I never knew the Huntsclan were bragging types."

The Huntsclan member growled and pulled out his huntstaff from behind his back before he charged at Haley, swinging his staff at her. Haley scowled as she lifted off of the ground and wrapped her claws around his staff, pulling it up and lifting the Huntsclan member off of his feet. The Huntsclan member reacted by hurling his boot into her stomach, making Haley grunt in pain and drop the staff.

As he started to fall to the ground, the Huntsclan member grabbed onto her tail, and as he touched the ground, he pulled her down with him. Haley panicked and tried to flap her wings to get away from the Huntsclan member, but another pull of her tail made Haley realize that her efforts were futile. The Huntsclan member laughed with triumph as he swung her around, letting her go and sending her right into the wall.

Haley slammed to the ground dazed and unable to get up. The next thing she knew, the Huntsclan member was standing above her, his staff, which was now glowing with lethal plasma, was now pointed at her heart. Then, everything went black…

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

"Haley!" Haley started to groan and return to the real world going on around her as she heard a voice calling her name. The voice…it sounded familiar to her. Sun? "KID!" Haley's eyes finally snapped open when she heard another voice, only this time, it belonged to a male. Fu Dog.

Sitting up, Haley groaned as she realized just how sore she was, but she didn't know why. Haley turned her head towards Fu's voice, to see that he was lying on his back, his paws all pulled together and held in place by a green strap. Haley then turned her head in the opposite direction, and she could see Sun, who was sitting beside her, her clawed hands bound behind her back with the same strap, as were her wings. Haley didn't have to be a genius to realize that she was tied up too. Not knowing what else to do, Haley started to look around the room that they were being held in. The walls and the ceiling were all made of metal and there were a couple of weapons on the walls. There was also a large cauldron in the middle of the room, and for some reason, Haley felt like the room was moving…

"Haley…" Sun said quietly. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fi…" Haley started to answer, but before she could finish, she noticed the Huntsclan member slowly approaching them. He had a large, black plastic bag in his hand, which he set down on the ground.

"You three need to shut up…" the Huntsclan member said as he reached into the bag and pulled out a can of salt, which he opened and started to pour it into the cauldron. "The second I am done, I'll finish you three off…"

"Oh yeah?" Haley retorted, struggling against her restraints. "We'll see about that!" However, no matter how hard she tugged, she could not loosen them. The Huntsclan member chuckled as he walked over to her. "You like them?" he asked rhetorically. "They're even more powerful than chains enforced with sphinx hair. There's no way out. I'll slay all of you the second my potion is done…"

Haley watched as the Huntsclan member walked back over to the cauldron. As the Huntsclan member added more ingredients to the cauldron, Haley suddenly got an idea to distract him. "Who are you?" she asked, pretending to be defeated.

The Huntsclan member chuckled as he finished stirring the recipe he was cooking. "And why should I tell you that? Oh, very well…I have not been called anything in fifteen years, but you may call me The Hunter…"

"Really?" Sun asked, realizing Haley's idea. "Well, why don't you tell me something? How is it possible? How can you still be alive? The Huntsclan was destroyed ten years ago."

The Hunter chuckled as he stared into the pot. "Let's just say that I'm special..." He replied. "But now…now I will revive them; then together, we shall destroy the Magical World! Just as soon as this recipe is finished, my people will return and I will undo the act carried out by that treacherous b…"

There was suddenly a sound coming from outside…a sound that sounded like fire. Suddenly, a piece of the wall was blasted from the rest of the wall and it slammed into The Hunter before he even had a chance to finish his disparaging comment about Rose. The Hunter yelped and grunted in pain as he was slammed into the wall in the other side of the room, slumping to the floor with a groan as the steel wall followed him, covering him.

Haley turned her head and saw that the room that she was in was high in the sky as the dragon dressed all in black swooped in. Before Haley could even react, the dragon landed behind her, and she could hear a hissing noise as her restraints fell away. Haley sat up and turned around and could see that in the dragon's claws was a small stick with a red laser coming out. "Watch out!" The Vigilante Dragon suddenly shouted, and the next thing Haley knew, she felt The Hunter leap up onto her back, trying to knock her down.

The Vigilante Dragon growled as he shot up and smacked The Hunter off of Haley with his tail. The next thing Haley knew, the Vigilante Dragon tossed her the laser and landed beside her. "Free your teacher and the dog." He ordered. "I'll take care of this guy…"

Haley found herself behind Sun, using the laser to free her, but as she worked, she found herself watching the vigilante's fight with The Hunter. The Vigilante Dragon threw punch after punch and swipe after swipe, but The Hunter managed to dodge every single one of them. As Haley saw that the Sun's restraints had fallen away, the vigilante was seemingly growing tired. The Hunter let out a victorious shout as he ducked a lazy swipe and grabbed onto the vigilante's arm, delivering a kick to his gut and sending the dragon flying backwards to where he had blown a hole in the wall. The Hunter chuckled as he slowly approached the fallen dragon, pulling out his huntstaff.

"I can see that you are your own trainer, beast…" The Hunter mocked. "I've faced elves and leprechauns that gave more of a fight than you just did. What a pathetic waste of my time…" The Hunter then raised his staff in the air and was about to bring it down on the vigilante when he was suddenly hit by a blast of fire. The Hunter was thrown backwards, but he recovered quickly and turned to face Sun, Haley and a now freed Fu.

"Hey kid…" Fu muttered. "Thanks for freeing my last. I know as an animal sidekick, I'm completely useless…"

"Not now, Fu…" Haley shot back as she flew at The Hunter and started to swipe at him with her tail. The Hunter was able dodge all of her tacks, and he jumped back and aimed his staff right for her chest, the staff starting to glow. Seeing this, Fu Dog started running towards The Hunter, jumping up and biting down on his hand. The Hunter screamed in pain as he pulled the hand that Fu Dog was biting away from his staff. The Hunter started to shake his hand, and with a jerk back, Fu let go, flying over to the cauldron and knocking it over.

"What?" The Hunter stared in disbelief at what just happened before he turned around to face the three dragons that were now approaching. The Hunter grinned from behind his mask. "Well…" he added. "There are other ways to bring them back. This isn't over…"

Haley's eyes widened as she saw that The Hunter was starting to lower his staff to make his getaway. Haley acted fast, and she shot at the Huntsclan member, but it was too late. The staff touched the ground and The Hunter disappeared in a bright orb of green light as Haley hit the floor.

"Aw, I can't believe he got away!" Haley moaned as she got up, reverting to her human form as Fu Dog walked up to her.

"It is okay, Haley." Sun told her. "All that matters is that we are all safe. Good work, Fu Dog…"

The three heroes were suddenly drawn back to the Vigilante Dragon as he cleared his throat. "Yeah…" he muttered. "You are welcome. Did you change your mind yet, kid? Do you still think that you can handle the responsibility alone?"

"Absolutely…" Haley crossed her arms. "It's just one hunter."

"But did you ever consider what could happen if he brought the Huntsclan back?"

"That's not possible…" Sun stated. "The wish was irreversible."

"Well, I hate to be the stereotypical person of indefinite wisdom…" the vigilante stepped back to the hole in the wall he caused. "But don't be too sure about that. He will stop at nothing, and he is a dangerous foe. I advise you to think about your thought process…" Then, the Vigilante Dragon flared his wings, and he was lifted off his feet and he disappeared out the hole.

"I don't like that guy…" Haley muttered.

"Whatever…" Fu blew Haley's statement off. "We need to get off of this thing before it crashes."

Haley's eyes widened when Fu had said this. She had completely forgotten that the place they were in was none other than a Hunts-vehicle, and that there was no one steering it. Haley lifted off her feet and swooped over to Fu, grabbing him as she and her dragon master flew out of the hole in the wall.

LINE BREAK

Only minutes later, Haley, Sun and Fu Dog could see Canal Street Electronics from where they were in the air. Seconds later, all three of them landed in front of the shop, only to gasp at the sight in front of them. The shop had been vandalized: windows were broken and there were spray-paintings all over the walls, with hateful messages such as: "Dragons Stink", "Dragons R Evil" and more.

Sun sighed as she reverted to her human form. "Haley…" she said softly. "Do you mind contacting the council while I clean up the mess?"

"Of course not, Sun." Haley said politely as she pulled open the door of the shop and stepped inside. Reverting to her human form, Haley cringed as she stepped on broken glass and tried to step over the smashed virtual reality helmets.

Finally, Haley made it to the back, only to find that the couch had been torn into. Sighing, Haley sat down on the couch anyway and reached underneath a cushion and pulled out a small, cell-phone shaped communication device. Haley typed in a number before she lowered it slightly as a hologram appeared in front of her.

In the hologram was a man, with short red hair and orange robes, although this could not be seen due to the hologram. The man was about forty-five years of age and he had a few wrinkles. "Councilor Fachtna…" the man said in an Irish accent. "What do you want, American Dragon?"

"Councilor Fachtna…" Haley started. "You are not going to believe this, but I have found a surviving Huntsclan member!"

"Yes, Dragon Long…" Fachtna said in a bored tone. "The Huntsgirl…But do not worry, the second we find her, and your brother, we will deal with them."

"No!" Haley exclaimed. "Not her! Another hunter! Somehow he survived her wish and he's now trying to bring the Huntsclan back!"

"There is no way…" Facthna replied. "I advise you to worry about your duties to the Magical World. Or do you want to end up like your brother?"

Haley's heart sank. "But Councilor…" she tried to explain.

"I don't want to hear anything more on this topic, American Dragon!" Fachtna seemed to be losing his temper. "We have a bigger issue to deal with; in fact, I must leave now in order to meet with one of the world's leaders."

"Councilor Fachtna, please…"

On the other end, Fachtna sighed. "Fine…" he gave in. "You are lucky that I am in a hurry. If you can give me proof that there is a member of the Huntsclan on the loose and that the member is an actual threat, than I just might be willing to do something. Now, I must go."

Haley sighed as the hologram faded and she lowered the device just as Sun entered the room. "Well?" Sun asked her student. "What is the council going to do about our new friend?"

"Nothing…" Haley sat down on the couch.

"What?"

"Not unless we can give them some kind of proof that he is an actual threat." Haley reported. "I guess that means that we have to take him down ourselves…"

Sun sighed as she joined her student on the couch. "Do not worry, Haley." She tried to be optimistic. "I know we can stop him. Remember the old times? Jake was able to always beat the odds, and you are his sister. If he could do it, you can too."

Haley couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Sun…"

LINE BREAK

Haley exited Canal Street Electronics in her dragon form; she sighed as she looked around her. The council didn't believe that this new foe was a threat, but Haley knew that he was. Haley honestly didn't think it would be all that hard to take The Hunter down, but she still thought it would be nice if she had the council backing her up.

Haley sighed. It looked like she was going to have to do this by herself. Spreading her wings, Haley lifted off of the ground and started to fly home.

BLACKOUT; END OF EPISODE

**A/N: So, there it is. What do you think? One thing I need to know, does the plot sound a little bit like Avatar? I'm trying to make it different. **

**About Haley's personality: she's changed a little bit. She's still a little goody two-shoes, but she's more like a teenager. She's not that much of a little prodigy now that everyone thinks that she's a freak of nature and that has also helped change her personality.**

**So yeah, the world is not a great place, but as you will see, it is not only humans that are cruel. **

**So, please review. Please. The second chapter/episode will be up tomorrow. So, if you didn't care for this one, you can always give it a second shot.  
**


	2. Chapter 2

American Dragon: Haley Long (Season One)

**Disclaimer: I do not own American Dragon: Jake Long.**

Chapter/Episode Two: Who Let the Dog In?

Thunder boomed and lightning flashed in the sky and rain started to pour down on the streets of New York. In a dark alley, there came a whimper as a small, young golden retriever was lying on its stomach. The young animal had a bent back paw and several bruises all over its body. After another flash of lightning, the animal whimpered once more and tried its best to scramble over to a small cardboard box near a bunch of other discarded trash, such as smashed televisions and Blu Ray Players. As the dog tried to get under the box, it suddenly felt a sensation in its stomach. The dog was hungry.

The dog whimpered slightly as it got to its feet and limped over to the other side of the alley where there was a large dumpster. The dog struggled to get up to the lid of the dumpster where it peaked in to see what kinds of scraps were available. Just as the dog was about to dig for something, it sensed a rumbling in the pile of trash. A second later, the dog fell backwards with a scared whimper as a large figure emerged from the trash.

As the dog looked up at the creature, its eyes widened in fear; the figure was big and it was completely covered by a long, grey cloak and hood, covering his face and entire body. "Good doggie…" the figure said slowly as he reached his arm out, making the dog gasp; claws. The figure was a dragon.

"P…Pl…Please don't hurt me!" the dog begged in a female voice.

"Aw…" the dragon said. "Excellent…Magical…"

"Wh…What do you want from me?" the dog asked, nearly shaking as the cloaked dragon started to approach her. "Please! Don't come any closer!"

"I'm not going to hurt you…" the cloaked dragon said in a dangerous way. "In fact…I want to help you…"

The dog slowly got up on her paws, whimpering slightly as she put weight on her bad paw as the rain dampened her fur. "H…How can you help me?"

"Hungry?" the cloaked dragon asked simply as he reached into his cloak and pulled out a piece of paper. "Is your paw hurting? I'll tell you what. If you bring me something from Canal Street Electronics, not only will I pay you with your dinner, but I will relieve you of your pain…What do you say?"

The young dog stared at the cloaked dragon for a moment, shivering from the pouring rain. Finally, she looked down at her injuries and listened to her growling stomach. "Alright…" the dog said. "I'll do it…"

"Fantastic…" the cloaked dragon tossed the dog the paper; the dog catching it in her mouth. "Now go…"

As he watched the young golden limp away, the cloaked dragon turned around and started to laugh evilly.

BLACKOUT; THEME SONG

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

At Millard Fillmore High School, Haley Long burst through the doors of the school just as the bell rang. "No!" Haley groaned to herself as the hallway started to become crowded with students trying to get to their class. Haley rushed into the crowd, trying to get passed several of the students, but all this resulted in for her was being pressed against a row of lockers. Sighing, Haley clenched her fists as a bright light consumed her body and her pink dragon form appeared.

Haley hovered above the other students and sped down the hallways. Haley finally came to a stop at the door of Mrs. O'Yrael's classroom where she lowered herself to the ground and reverted to her human form. If O'Yrael caught her in dragon form, she would be in so much trouble. Haley grabbed the knob and pushed the door open, stepping inside to see all the students sitting at their desks. Mrs. O'Yrael sat at her desk, a cruel grin evident in her facial features.

"What a shame…" the teacher sighed. "You're just on time. Take your seat, Miss Dragon."

Haley sighed as she turned around and started to walk over to her desk, oblivious to the fact that Sierra Tatlock was removing her hand from her chair and also the fact that Olivia Mears and Dena Mahen were now giggling. Haley sighed as she stopped at her desk, turning around and sitting down. But, as her rear touched the seat, a loud raspberry sound came from below her.

As the rest of the class burst into hysterical laughter, Haley yelped in surprise, jumping out of her seat as a bright light consumed her and she landed on the floor in her dragon form. "SILENCE!" O'Yrael's voice boomed out, silencing the class as she slowly approached the pink dragon. "Well, well, well…" she grinned.

"Mrs. O'Yrael…" Haley tried to explain. "It's not what it looks like!"

"Miss Long…" O'Yrael grinned. No doubt she was relishing in this moment. "You are aware that this school has a strict policy about magical students using powers, are you not?"

"Well, yes…" Haley reverted to her human form before she answered. "But…please, ma'am. I was just startled…"

"Haley…" Sierra's voice cut her off. "Just stop while you're ahead. You need to be responsible for your own actions…" As Sierra spoke, Olivia and Dena started to snicker.

Haley's eyes narrowed and she whirled around, placing her claws on the mean girl's desk, making the other two stop their snickering. "You…" Haley growled. "You pranked me!"

"Miss Long!" O'Yrael's voice made Haley turn back around. "I have had enough! Get your things and go to the office. You are suspended!"

LINE BREAK

"You're WHAT?" Thirty minutes later, Haley sat on the couch at her house with her head in her hands as her father yelled at her. "I never thought I'd live to see the day! My daughter suspended from school!" As he continued to rant, Jonathan seemed to cool off a little bit, temper wise. "I can't believe you, Haley. I'm sorry, but I have no choice. You're grounded."

Jonathan sighed as he walked into the kitchen, and Haley lifted her head as her mother walked over to her from the corner and sat down on the couch next to her. "Haley…" Susan said softly. "Haley…"

"It isn't fair, Mom…" Haley growled. "It wasn't my fault."

"Your principal said that the teacher said that you threatened three of your classmates." Susan said, not scornfully, but in utter bewilderment. Susan could not believe her daughter's actions. "He said that if you had just gone into your dragon form, you would have only been suspended for two days, but…"

"The three girls startled me!" Haley exclaimed. "They wanted me to get into trouble! And I didn't threaten them! I would never do that!" Haley was near tears; her perfectly clean school record had now been smudged because of a prank. "Mom…"

Susan sighed as she stood up. "I don't know what to say, dear. Perhaps you should apologize to those three girls."

"What?" Haley suddenly shot up, shocked. "Mom, they are the reason that I got in trouble! You want me to apologize to them?"

"You know what?" Susan said after a moment. "Yes, I do. I think it would be good for you. Maybe you could become friends with at least one of them. And good lord knows you need a friend…"

LINE BREAK

It was pitch black outside, and unlike the night before, it was no longer raining. A small whimper came from the young golden retriever as she approached Canal Street Electronics. The dog whimpered as she took one more step so that she could look into the windows. The shop was completely dark.

The dog limped over to the front door and brought her good front paw up to the door and started to move it in a circle, carving a hole in the door. The dog nudged to glass with her nose, knocking it out of its slot as she slowly got inside the shop. The dog then shook herself as the piece of paper slid out from her fur. The dog looked down at the paper as she stared at the object she was to steal.

Now knowing what to look for, the dog bit down, chewing the piece of paper before swallowing, and then she searched. The dog limped over to the counter where the cash register was resting. The dog got to one of the drawers and used her mouth to pull it open, the drawer hitting the ground as it was removed from its place. There was a rather loud thud noise as all of the goods in the spilled out onto the floor. The dog was about to start to look through the items when she heard a female voice.

"Fu Dog?" the voice asked, and a moment later, Sun Park walked into the room. "Fu Dog?" she repeated. "Are you in here?"

The young dog waited until the dragon had turned around and started to walk back to the other room before she decided to flee. The dog leapt over the counter, letting out a whimper of pain as she landed on the floor, the whimper attracting the attention of Sun, who whirled around just in time to see the dog jumping up and crashing through the glass door. Sun jumped into the air as a blue light engulfed her, transforming her into her dragon form.

The Korean Dragon flew out of the shop and into the night, landing on the ground and looking in all directions for the intruder, but to her surprise, the intruder had vanished into the night. Sun blinked in shock.

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Haley stood on the top step of the stairs of Sierra Tatlock's home. Haley mentally groaned as she curled her fingers in a fist before bringing them up and knocking on the door. Haley sighed as she brought her fist away from the door and stood back as the door opened and Sierra's smug grin appeared.

"Haley!" Sierra acted surprised. "What are you doing here?"

Haley looked down at her feet, but before she could open her mouth, Sierra continued: "Oh, I know why you're here. Your mother called and said that you wanted to apologize to me. That's so big of you, Dragon-Girl. But I hardly doubt that it would relieve me of the nightmares I'm destined to have for the rest of my life…"

Haley could feel her temper starting to flare up, and she clenched her fists. Gritting her teeth, Haley looked up and stared at Sierra's smug and victorious look. "You know what?" Haley growled. "Forget it!" Haley then turned and stormed down the stairs before she transformed into her dragon form and flew off.

LINE BREAK

The next morning, Haley found herself groaning as she felt someone shaking her. Haley slowly opened her eyes and found her mother shaking her awake. "Just because you were suspended and don't have to go to school doesn't mean you get to sleep in." Susan Long told her crossly. Haley groaned as she sat up in bed, and her mother continued. "Sun called. Apparently there was a break in at the shop last night."

"What?" Haley asked as she got to her feet, sliding off the bed. "What happened? Did Sun say anything?"

"No." Susan replied. "Sun didn't say anything. All she said was that she wants you down there."

LINE BREAK

Around the same time, the young golden retriever whimpered as she put pressure on her injured paw as soon as she had finished climbing up a fire-escape which led to the roof of a building. Waiting for her was the cloaked dragon.

"Well?" The dragon demanded. "Did you get it?"

"No…" the dog lowered her head in shame, making the dragon growl and start to approach her slowly, threateningly. "But I'll get it!" the dog added, backing away in fear. "Please, just give me a little more time! There was someone inside! I barely made it out!"

The cloaked dragon seemed to think this over. Finally, the dragon growled. "Fine…But only because I need this object…If I didn't…"

The next thing the dog knew, there was a flash and a loud crashing sound as the dragon slammed his tail against the roof, sending a chunk flying up. The next thing the dog knew, there was a swift movement of the cloaked dragon's arm as his claws sliced the chunk of plaster into three pieces.

"…That would be you…" the dragon growled as the three chunks came crashing down.

Now terrified, the young golden whimpered as she backed up, nodding as she turned. "I won't fail this time!" she said. "I'll get it this time." And she was off…

LINE BREAK

Fu Dog snored loudly as he lied on the couch in the back of the shop. The 600 year old dog had slept right through the break-in the night before, and was now sleeping through Sun pacing around the room. Finally, Sun stopped pacing and she turned to Fu. "Fu Dog…" she said politely. "Fu Dog, do you mind waking up for me?"

"Wh…What?" Fu Dog's eyes snapped open and the 600 year old dog sat up. "What? Did you say something?"

"Fu Dog, there was a break-in last night." Sun said calmly. "I'm trying to think. No offense, but I can't do that when you're snoring."

"Fine…" Fu jumped from the couch and started to walk out the door. "I get it. You don't want me around."

"Fu, you know that wasn't what I meant." Sun said softly, mentally kicking herself for giving the dog that idea.

Before Fu could say another word, the bell above the door rang and Haley, in dragon form, quickly rushed into the room, struggling to catch her breath. "Sun!" she declared. "I'm here!"

After Haley made her entrance, Fu finished speaking. "It's okay, Sun." the dog said. "I know that you didn't mean it that way. It's just…things haven't been the same since Jake left and the old man passed on."

"Whoa…" Haley broke in. "What did I miss?"

"What I'm saying is, and I've been thinking about this for about a month…" Fu finished. "I think Haley should find her own animal guardian."

"What?" Haley asked, now aware of what was going on. "You mean…"

LINE BREAK

"You want to leave the order?" Holly Jennings nearly shouted as Haley, Sun and Fu all stood in front of her on the grass outside of the main hall on the Island of Draco. As she spoke again, Holly didn't shout this time: "But…why? Fu, you're a great animal guardian. Haley needs you."

Haley stared at her older brother's friend. At age 25, Holly had achieved what her brother had wanted to: becoming a member of the Dragon Council and she wore purple robes, similar to the late Councilor Andam's, which looked slightly large on her. Unfortunately, that was where the good news ended. Holly had been devastated by her brother's death, and her appearance showed it. Despite her young age, she looked significantly worse for the wear—her previously wavy red hair was now straight and now had strands of gray. Her eyes, which had previously had a fire and a brightness in them had now all but died away and had been replaced with a dull and depressed look.

"I'm just not feeling it anymore…" Fu answered honestly.

Holly sighed. "The rest of the Council will not be happy about this…"

"They never are…" Haley crossed her arms. Holly looked at the younger dragon, failing to keep a small smile away. Haley lowered her arms and smiled back. Haley felt bad for Holly and felt that if she could do anything to make her feel even slightly better for even the slightest amount of time, she should go for it.

"Well…" Holly turned her attention back to business. "Shall we go inform the rest of the Council?"

After a rather short walk, Haley found herself in the main hall where all of the councilors sat. Councilor Fachtna sat in the middle, and to the right of him sat Councilor Ulixes, who was the dragon of Greece. She wore dark blue robes with some white stripes on them. Sitting next to her was Haley's older cousin, Gregory, or Greggy. Haley had no idea how her sniveling worm of a cousin had become a council member, but he had anyway, and he wore dark green robes. To the left of Fachtna was the seat belonging to Fred Nerk, followed by Holly's empty seat and then the seat belonging to Councilor Callum, the Dragon of England, who wore white and red robes.

"Councilor Jennings…" Fachtna started. "What are they doing here?"

Greggy scoffed. "Maybe they found the proof that a hunter survived the Huntsgirl's wish!" As he finished mocking his cousin, he burst out into a loud cackle. Listening to this mockery, Haley growled as Holly made her way over to her seat.

"Silence!" Councilor Fachtna cut Greggy off. "Why have you really come here, Dragon Long?"

"Well…" Haley started, but Fu cut her off and walked up to the entire council with his head lowered.

"Well…I…" Fu stuttered. "I…kind of want to step aside as the kid's magical guardian…"

"What?" Councilor Ulixes suddenly shouted. "How dare you even suggest that? You have a duty to the Magical World and the American Dragon! There is no room for this dragon to get behind in her training."

"I agree." Councilor Callum added. "When it comes to the American Dragon's training, you are essential. It is not the right time for you to be leaving."

"Dog…" Ulixes continued. "Back in 1972, you swore your services to the Chinese Dragon when you chose to become his so called 'sidekick'. What makes you think that your vow should be revoked?"

"No, no…" Fachtna cut her off, and as he continued, Ulixes gasped in surprise. "Times have changed, Ulixes. Fu Dog made the vow to Master Lao-Shi, who is no longer with us. And as he is no longer with us, I find that if Fu Dog, who has done what he has vowed to do, cannot be forced to serve anymore. Dragon Long, we will find you a new animal guardian. Fu Dog, you are free to go."

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

A small whimper could be heard as the young golden retriever finally made it to the front of Canal Street Electronics. The dog stared the door down, and to her surprise, she could see that the hole she had made when she first broke in had been patched up. The golden let out a small sigh as she slowly made her way to the door, and bringing up her paw, started to carve a small hole in the door with her paw.

As the glass fell out of place, the dog slowly climbed through the hole and started to look throughout the shop. The dog once again made her way over to the counter and pulled out all of the drawers and spilling all of the things onto the floor.

"Come on!" the dog begged silently as she nudged through the items with her nose. "Please be here!"

LINE BREAK

"Really?" Fu Dog asked, as Sun and Haley gaped in surprise behind him. "You really mean that? You don't mind?"

"Why would we mind?" Facthna asked, although it was obvious that all of the other councilors cared. "It would be wrong to force a creature to do something that they do not wish to do. Do not worry, Fu Dog. You are not abandoning Dragon Long. We will find her a new animal guardian."

Fu lowered his head, trying to show his respect. "I respect your understanding, councilors." The dog said. "Thank you."

Haley turned her had with her jaw lowered as the shar-pei turned and slowly left the room. "Councilors…" Sun spoke. "Are you sure about this? Fu Dog has been a very capable and loyal guardian. I do not think it is wise to let him go."

"You are not the only one, Dragon Park." Callum agreed.

"Then why don't we do something to stop him?" Holly demanded. "In my opinion, Fu Dog is the only animal guardian fit to work with the American Dragon!"

"Yes…" Ulixes scowled. "Or perhaps Fu Dog was part of the problem…" Facthna grinned as she spoke. "Think about it, Jennings. That dog was a crook before Lao-Shi found him. Perhaps the dog's life of crime wore off on the previous American Dragon…"

"What?" Nerk spoke up. "Jake-a-roo…" Nerk suddenly stopped, not wanting to disagree with the beliefs of the rest of the members of the council.

"Enough!" Facthna declared. "My decision is final, and as the head of the council, it is my decision. Dragon Nerk, I am assigning you the chore of finding Dragon Long a new guardian."

"Yes, sirs…" Nerk stood up before walking over to Sun and Haley. "Shall we begin looking?"

"No, Councilor Nerk…" Sun replied respectfully. "Haley and I should probably be getting back. Her parents probably want her back home. We will look later."

LINE BREAK

The golden retriever was beginning to get nervous as she knocked down every object in the shop, but she could not find the object she was supposed to retrieve anywhere. The dog started to whine with anxiety as she started to look even harder.

"It has to be here!" the dog moaned as she started to frantically turn her head in both directions. If she didn't get the object for the dragon, she would be destroyed by his claws. In her greatest moment of panic, the young golden took off running, not paying attention to her injured paw and ramming into the wall. However, there was a tearing sound and a piece of plaster fell to the ground, revealing a safe hidden behind the wall.

All of her anxiety fading away, the dog let out of small bark of relief as she brought her paws up on the wall and pulled down the rest of the plaster so she could see the entire safe. The dog looked quizzically at the safe, wondering how she should go at opening it. Just as the dog finally made her decision, she froze in fear as she heard the door open as the bell over the door rang out.

"Don't worry, Haley…" the person spoke in a female voice. "We'll find you a new animal guardian…"

The young golden frantically looked for a place to hide, finally deciding on a place under the nearest couch. Ignoring the pain in her paw as she ran, the dog slid across the floor and disappeared from view underneath the couch as Sun entered the room. Looking out from her hiding space, the dog stared at the dragon that had almost caught her in the act just the previous night.

Back in the front room, Haley sighed as she walked over to the counter, pulling up a chair and sitting down, putting her head in her hands. She couldn't believe it. Fu Dog had left her. Haley sniffled as she lifted her head, looking down at the floor. "What the…?" Haley asked herself before she stood up and rushed to the next room where Sun was standing, alone.

"Sun!" Haley exclaimed, but before she could continue, Sun motioned for her to be quiet.

"Shh!" Sun ordered, before turning to her pupil and whispering: "Someone is in here…"

LINE BREAK

Fu Dog had gotten off of the elevator that led to the Isle of Draco and was now leaving the subway station. After finishing walking up the steps, Fu turned and walked down the streets of the city. Fu felt guilty about turning his back on Haley and Sun, but he was Jake's animal guardian, and he never thought he could miss anyone as much as he missed the kid. He missed the old man, too. And things just hadn't been the same since Lao-Shi had passed away and since Jake had been forced to leave. Things were just so depressing. Fu was just a little too tired of the depressing turn life had taken.

Fu lowered his head as he continued to walk aimlessly down the streets until he heard a yell. Fu lifted his head just in time to see an elf running terrified from a corner; Fu had to stop in his tracks in order to avoid a collision. "Yeah, that's right!" the shar-pei suddenly heard a familiar voice, and the next thing he knew, the vigilante dragon appeared in the alley. "You better run! That's what you get for messing with an innocent human!" The vigilante then looked down and looked at Fu.

"What are you doing?" Fu demanded.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" the vigilante retorted. "I'm doing my job…unlike you…"

"What is that supposed to mean?" Fu growled.

"Aren't you supposed to be an animal guardian?" the vigilante asked, leaning against the wall of a run down building.

"I've been let go…" Fu growled.

"Really?" the Vigilante Dragon grinned slightly. "Or did you leave them?"

"Does it matter?" the shar-pei shot as he tried to walk away, but the dragon's voice called him back.

"Of course it matters." The vigilante said. "You may think that I'm being too wise for my own good, but I don't think that you should be leaving the American Dragon now. Every dragon needs an animal guardian. Are you just going to abandon her now of all times?"

"What do you mean 'now of all times'?" Fu demanded, turning to face him.

"Remember what I said before?" the vigilante asked. "Everything is going to get worse before it gets better? I talk from experience; I think the American Dragon needs a loyal animal guardian to help guide her. A dragon master can't do all of the work…"

As The Vigilante Dragon finished, he flared his wings, flapping them and lifting off of the ground, flying into the day and leaving Fu Dog alone.

LINE BREAK

Back at the shop, Haley and Sun were now looking around the shop. Sun stopped in front of the safe and put her hand on it. "Do you think the thief broke into it?" Haley asked.

"No." Sun answered, turning from the safe. "Unless the intruder could go intangible and get what they wanted and then just walk out, I doubt it. Fortunately, the intruder is still in here. I can feel it." Sun then turned and closed her eyes, trying to get a good sense of the shop. Finally, Sun opened her eyes and slowly walked over to the couch that the dog was hiding under.

Sun got down on her knees and bent down, peering under the couch and making eye contact with the dog. The young golden took this opportunity to leap from her hiding area, knocking Sun against the nearest table as the dog ran.

"Haley!" Sun shouted as the Korean Dragon rolled over onto her stomach.

A bright light engulfed Haley, making her dragon form appear. Haley leapt from her place on the floor as the dog ran passed her as quickly as possible. Despite her injury, the dog was still able to outrun Haley, who hit the floor, her claws poking into the floorboards as the dog disappeared from the room.

The dog skidded around the corner and ran for the door, crashing through it once again, and landing on the cement right in front of Fu Dog. For a moment, the shar-pei looked rather surprised at the scene unfolding in front of him, but he soon realized what had happened.

Before the young golden could react, Fu Dog growled and leapt, ramming into the young golden. The dog was thrown from her feet, crashing through the glass door to Canal Street Electronics, completely shattering it. The dog flew into the room and slammed into the counter, sliding down to the floor dazed as Haley and Sun entered the room. "Fu Dog!" Haley suddenly exclaimed as she noticed the presence of the shar-pei. Reverting to her human form, Haley rushed over to Fu, knelt down and hugged the dog.

On the other side of the room, the young golden groaned as she tried to get up, but before she could, she felt something attach to her collar and she heard a click. Looking up, she could see that the light blue dragon had attached a leash to her. "I don't think so, pup…" the dragon said.

LINE BREAK

The doors to the main hall on the Isle of Draco opened as two dragon guards entered the room with the young golden, which was restrained with a leash around her neck, making it so she would be going nowhere. Sun and Haley, who had been speaking to the council turned around to face the dog, who looked terrified.

"Good. You're here." Fachtna stood up and went over to the dog, kneeling down so that he was leveled with the dog. "What is your name?"

The dog's eyes were wide and her lips trembled, but she still blurted out: "Lu Dog!" she cried. "Please, have mercy!"

"We'll see about that…" Fachtna stated. "Why did you break into their shop?"

"I…" Lu Dog started. "I…Someone offered to heal my paw…" But before Lu could even finish, Fachtna stood straight up and walked back over to his seat and sat down.

"Very well, dog." Ulixes spoke. "Then, if you are all done explaining your reasons, we will now decide your sentence."

"Wait!" Haley spoke up. "Don't you want to know what she was trying to steal?"

"It doesn't matter!" Ulixes spat. "She didn't steal the item, and she never will. Therefore, we do not need to know."

"Yeah, dog-punk!" Greggy piped up. "You're sentenced to death, fool!" Haley rolled her eyes as Greggy spoke; her cousin had not changed one bit.

"Would you be quiet?" Fachtna turned to Greggy, shooting the younger councilor a glare. Turning his attention back to Lu, he narrowed his eyes. "Dog, before you committed this crime, you should have taken into account that we do not show mercy to felons. You're looking at the rest of your life in a prison cell."

"There's just one problem…" Ulixes frowned. "All of the cells are currently inhabited."

"All of them?" Nerk asked.

"There are many criminals out there, Dragon Nerk…" Ulixes rolled her eyes. "Well, what should we do with her?"

"I think I have an idea…" Holly suddenly smiled slightly. "What if, um, Lu Dog stays with Dragon Long and Dragon Park?"

"What?" Haley demanded.

"…That way…" Holly continued. "Perhaps the dog can full her sentence by serving the American Dragon. Perhaps…she'd be a…animal guardian of sorts…"

"That won't be necessary." Fu suddenly spoke. "She won't need a new guardian. I'm staying."

"What?" Haley turned her attention to Fu. "Are you serious?" And when Fu nodded in confirmation, Haley smiled and bent down, wrapping her scaly arms around him. "Thanks, Fu!"

"She doesn't have to be an animal guardian." Councilor Callum spoke. "She could just serve her time at your so-called 'shop'."

Councilor Fachtna and Ulixes both stared at Holly and Callum, but nonetheless, Fachtna nodded and spoke: "Very well. The dog will stay at your…shop…with you in order to serve her sentence."

LINE BREAK

As Sun tied the leash around Lu Dog's neck to the couch leg, Haley, who was still in dragon form after the flight back to the shop, walked over to Fu, who was lying on the counter chewing on a bone.

"Uh…Fu…" Haley spoke, drawing the dog's attention away from the bone. "Can I ask you something?"

"Anything, kid."

"I thought you wanted to leave." Haley spoke. "Why did you come back?"

"Well, kid." Fu continued. "I kind of ran into a little advice, I guess you could say. A goo-goo-goo. You know what I'm saying?"

"No." Haley answered honestly. "Not at all…"

"Well then, perhaps you just aren't supposed to know." Fu smiled. "I would think that the fact that I am back would be enough."

Haley couldn't help but smile. Putting her clawed hand on Fu's head, she patted him. "I am glad that you're back. I just hope that you're staying."

"Kid, you know I'm staying."

LINE BREAK

Holly stood in her quarters, which she had set up like a regular bedroom. The young dragon council member walked over to a small desk and sat down by it, staring right at a photograph that was taped to the wall. In the picture, there stood Holly on her ninth birthday, the day that she had completely mastered her dragon form. Holly stood there in full dragon with a wide and proud smile on her face and with her older brother, TJ at her side. Behind TJ, with her hand on his shoulder, was his future murderer, his mother. In that picture, Mrs. Jennings had been smiling, but no one would know that, as Holly had scribbled her face in with a marker.

Holly smiled slightly as she looked at the picture, but she was forced to stand up and face the door as the door opened and Councilor Ulixes stepped inside. "Can I help you?" Holly asked.

"You are going to listen to me, Jennings." Ulixes growled. "I don't know what you want for the American Dragon—"

"What are you talking about?"

"SILENCE!" Ulixes roared. "You know what I'm talking about! And since you do know, I'm only going to tell you once: if the American Dragon ends up like her brother, you'll be sharing a cell with him!"

Holly was about to open her mouth, but Ulixes turned and walked out the door, closing it behind her.

LINE BREAK

After closing the door, a grinning Ulixes turned around as Councilor Fachtna stepped out of the shadows. "Well?" Fachtna asked. "Did you warn her?"

"Yes."

"Good." Fachtna grinned. "Fu Dog could be a bad influence on the young dragon. And we must prevent her taking the same road that her brother took."

"And how are we going to prevent it?"

"We'll have to remove the dog somehow…"

"How?"

Fachtna turned and looked into Ulixes' eyes, his filled with the fires of determination. "Well, we'll just have to come up with something, won't we?"

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: What do you think? Fu wanting to leave isn't all that original; it's been done before in other movies. And the end kind of reminds me of TWAT from Avatar, but I needed to get the point that Fachtna and Ulixes are bad news out. **


	3. Chapter 3

American Dragon: Haley Long (Season One)

Chapter/Episode 3: Dark Retrieval

Birds were perched on top of a large building in the late afternoon. The birds started to look at the rain gutters for some kind of food, but a loud roar coming from inside the building, making all of the birds flap their wings and fly away.

Inside the building, the cloaked dragon paced around the room, occasionally stopping to let loose a torrent of fire from his mouth in a fit of rage; the cloaked dragon finally stopped in front of a wooden table, slamming his fists down with a final roar.

"Blast that dog!" the dragon seethed. "If I ever find her…No, now is not the time. I must find a way to get into that shop! I must find someone…Hmm…"

LINE BREAK

The bell rang all throughout Millard Fillmore High School, which told the students that it was time for lunch. Haley Long made her way into the cafeteria and walked over to the lunch line, where robotic arms were serving all of the students. Haley turned around after grabbing her tray, only to mentally scream as she found that she was right behind Olivia Mears and Dena Mahen. "Wow…" Dena smiled cruelly, like all cheerleaders did to anyone lower than others on the social scale. "Nice outfit…"

Haley looked down at what she was wearing, which was the exact same thing that she wore the day before. "I wore this yesterday." Haley frowned. "And the day before that and the day before that. Kind of like you, Dena." She added, pointing to Dena's cheer uniform.

"At least it's a symbol of her popularity, Haley…" Olivia smiled cruelly. "It means that she will always be more popular than you. Even if you wanted to become a cheerleader, the squad would never let a freaky dragon like you on."

"Good." Haley nearly spat. "I would never want to be on the squad." She watched as Olivia and Dena walked away from the line and sat down at the closest "popular" table. Haley sighed as she turned to face the line once more, only to face Leah Belden. When Leah saw Haley standing beside her, her eyes widened in fear.

"How do you always find me?" Leah demanded; the girl nearly shaking.

Haley didn't answer. She simply sighed as she took her tray and walked away, sitting down at a lone table in the back of the cafeteria.

LINE BREAK

Olivia and Dena watched Haley as the young dragon ate her lunch alone. As Dena picked up her cheeseburger, Olivia turned to her friend with a twisted smile on her face. "We need to do something about her."

"Like what?"

"Like get her expelled!" Olivia's grin widened. "Wouldn't you agree that this school is no place for a dragon? She should be sent to…dragon school!"

"I guess…" Dena agreed. "But…how are we going to do that?"

"Oh, don't worry about that…" Olivia smiled evilly. "Just leave it all to me…"

BLACKOUT; PLAY THEME SONG

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

At a local bank in New York, everything appeared to be going according to plan. People were in lines, taking money out of their accounts or putting money into them. As it appeared that nothing was out of the ordinary, the four guards started to relax, lowering their weapons.

Unfortunately, that turned out to be a rather poor choice, as at that very moment, what looked like two metal boomerangs slammed into the overhead ceilings, shattering them, making the small, sharp pieces of glass rain down on the people inside. The two boomerangs stopped in midair and joined together at the sides, causing a hole like opening to appear, making fog mist come out. The four security guards drew their guns in wonder as a figure appeared in the mist.

A second later, a figure shot out of the cloud of mist, landing on the ground and whirling around. The figure then extended her arms and caught the two boomerangs as they came toward her. The figure wore a dark blue cloak, hiding her face from view, but the guards could see her lower body. The figure wore army boots and cargo pants and a white tank-top. The figure's hands were nearly covered with what appeared to be two three-part steel gloves that started with a cuff around the wrists, followed by a cuff around the palm and finally, five pointed tips that rested over the fingers. Around the figure's waist was a belt containing several different weapons and devices. The figure extended its arms again, hurling the boomerangs at the unsuspecting people in the lines. As the boomerangs glided through the air, they started to grow until the two could snatch the people in the lines, pinning all ten people in the lines to the wall with the two boomerangs.

The figure was about to make its way to the safe, but the figure was drawn back to the guards as each of them pulled out their guns and pointed them. "Freeze!" the leader of the guards shouted. However, the guards soon reacted with fear as the figure reached down and pulled out what appeared to be a futuristic space-gun from the belt.

"Drop it or we'll shoot!" the guard shouted.

The figure then turned and ran down the room, prompting the guards to start firing. As the bullets whizzed passed the figure, the figure jumped up and started to run up the walls, flipping backwards as it touched the ceiling; as the figure touched the ground and spun around, the figure reached up and pressed a button before pulling the trigger. A length of rope shot out of the barrel, wrapping around the chief guard's wrists, pinning them together and making him fly into the wall, knocking him unconscious after the figure pulled on the rope.

As the figure noticed that two more of the guards were coming toward, the figure pressed another button on the gun before pulling the trigger, making some gas come out. The two guards stopped in their tracks the second they inhaled the gas, and they then collapsed to the floor, unmoving. Seeing this, the eyes of the fourth and final guard rolled back into his head and he fell backwards to the floor in a dead-on faint.

Behind the figure's hood, the figure grinned with satisfaction as it turned and walked over to the safe, putting the pointed index finger glove on the surface of the safe seal as a red laser came from the tip. As the figure slowly started to cut a hole into the seal, the terrified clerk from behind the desk trembled as she found the button that would alert the police. Squeezing her eyes shut, she pushed the button, making an alarm go off inside the building. Just as the alarm went off, the figure came out of the safe with a large bag full of money.

When the figure heard the sound, the figure automatically reached down with its free hand and pulled out the gun, pointing it at the woman's head. The woman at the counter could feel sweat dripping down her face as she could hear the gun powering up. Just when the woman thought she was done for, the doors burst open and a squad of police officers burst in, each holding guns.

The figure lowered the gun and pushed a button on the belt, making two small things pop out of the side. At first, the officers were confused, but fire shot from the two things and the figure flew out of the building through the ceiling, the officers gasped.

Outside, the jetpack failed and the figure dropped to the roof, which was only a few inches down. The figure rushed over to the edge, only to see that there were several more cops outside with two squad cars, as well as the squad that had come into the bank were rushing outside. The figure extended its hand as the cuff around the palm opened up and shot out a rather small ball. The ball flew over to and landed on one of the cruisers, cracking the windshield of the car just as the ball exploded. The figure turned and jumped from the building, landing safely on the ground before taking off in a run down the street, using the exploding cruiser as a cover.

"Hey, there he goes!" a cop called out. It didn't work as the figure had hoped. Now, the figure was sprinting down the streets, occasionally whirling around to fire her futuristic gun, which shot out flames when she pressed a certain button. The cops following her managed to dodge the flames, but by that time, the figure had turned and had sprinted down an alley. All of the cops stopped.

"Okay!" one of the cops declared. "Let's split up! You…" he pointed at the one closest to him. "…will follow the culprit. The rest of you will follow me!"

LINE BREAK

The figure ran down the alley in-between two buildings; the figure stopped for a second to catch its breath and to also see if there was someone to flee from. And to the figure's surprise, a lone cop was running up. The figured straightened up and pulled the futuristic gun from the belt, but before the figure could press a button on it, the cop had gotten up close and was able to knock the gun out of the figure's hands. As the figure simply stared at the daring cop, the cop took the opportunity to deliver a clenched fist to the figure's face. The figure stepped backwards, as the figure's head jerked backwards, the hood falling down.

As the figure brought its head back up, the police officer gasped. The figure was a woman; she looked about thirty years of age and had very short black hair and green eyes. The thief glanced down as she caught sight of blood on her lip. Rage flashed through her eyes as the cuff on her palm opened up and two daggers shot out. The cop's eyes widened as the thief grabbed onto the dagger and swung them at him.

The cop stepped backwards as he tried to avoid both daggers. Finally, but most likely on accident, the thief's boot made contact with his, and the thief started to lose her balance; the cop took this opportunity to slam his palm into her chest, throwing her backwards. As the thief fell on her back with a grunt, the cop reached onto his back and pulled off his pair of handcuffs.

"You're under arrest!" the cop exclaimed with pride. Today, he was the hero…Well, maybe not…

At that moment, there was the sound of several guns cocking, and both thief and cop looked up to see the guns of about ten police officers pointed down at the thief. The cop on the ground smiled as he faced the fallen thief. "Why don't you just give up?" he asked.

The thief just scowled, and a second later, she brought her boot up, making contact with the cop's groin. As the cop collapsed to his knees with a look on his face that looked as if he had sucked all of the juice out a lemon, all of the cops fired their weapons as the thief jumped up and flipped, jumped and ran to her, gun, dodging all of the bullets. Finally, the thief grabbed her gun, pressed a button in the middle, pointed it up at the roof and fired.

With a loud bang, a long wire shot from the gun that was glowing with blue energy. The wire had hooks on the ends and it hooked onto the wall of the building; before the officers could react, the wires detonated. The thief picked herself up and fled down the alley as the debris from the building crashed down on the alley ground, creating a mist of dust.

LINE BREAK

A large police cruiser cruised through the air as it slowly came to s halt. Wheels slowly emerged from the inside and the cruiser slowly touched the ground, coming in at a nice landing. The engine slowly died and the door opened before a police uniform clad Brad Morton stepped out of the car, closing the door behind him. Brad turned around to face a woman in a near identical police uniform approaching him. The only difference was that the woman wore a pair of sunglasses, which she took off as she got close enough to him.

"What happened?" Brad asked.

"At this moment, we are not entirely sure." The female officer replied. "All we know is that several officers were attacked by some masked thief. All of them have been taken to the hospital and will be just fine."

"Do you have any idea who is responsible?"

"No." The female officer replied. "Although personally, I hope it was a magical creature. We need to get those unnatural freaks off of the streets and out of our society."

"Well, what if it wasn't one of those?"

"I don't think I care, Officer." The female officer finished. "When I signed up for the force, I made a promise to myself. Perhaps the removal of the magical creatures will put an end to the rise of crimes committed…."

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

The door to the girl's bathroom at Millard Fillmore High School opened and Haley stepped inside. As the heavy door closed behind her, Haley walked into the largest stall and closed the door behind her and locked it.

As soon as Haley had disappeared inside the stall, the door once again opened and Leah Belden stepped inside, dropping her backpack and rinsing her hands underneath the sink faucet. As Leah finished washing her hands and as the water coming from the faucet died away, the door to the stall opened and Haley walked out, slinging her backpack over her shoulder. Leah turned from the sink only to have her eyes widen as she saw Haley.

LINE BREAK

Outside the bathroom, Dena and Olivia smiled as they approached the door. "So, what are we going to do?" Dena asked.

"You'll see…" Olivia said as she walked over to the wall and leaned on it. "Just be patient."

Dena suddenly turned around when she heard sloshing sounds and footsteps. Standing behind her was the school's biggest nerd. He had black hair, which was combed back and he had gap teeth and a bow tie. "Hi Olivia…" he snorted and rasped. "Hi Dena…I got what you wanted me to get."

"Thanks, nerd…" Olivia smiled cruelly as she walked up to him and took the bucket. "So, you're sure that this will make Dragon Girl freak?"

"Oh, absolutely!" the nerd replied. "So, are you going to hold up your end of the bargain?"

"What?" Olivia asked, with fake innocence in her tone.

"Uh…" the nerd snorted again. "You said that if I got you this stuff, you would go out on a date with me. When can we go out?"

"Uh, yeah…" Olivia frowned. "I lied. I'm not going to go out with you. Goodbye!" And then, putting her hands on the nerd's shoulders, she turned him around. The nerd lowered his head and walked away as Olivia turned back to Dena. "Come on. We've got work to do."

LINE BREAK

"Why do you always keep following me?" Leah demanded, reaching down in a blind attempt to grab her backpack. "Why can't you just leave me alone? All I want is that!"

"Would you just be quiet?" Haley demanded in an annoyed tone. "If you haven't noticed, I'm not running into you all the time on purpose."

"I just don't want you around me!" Leah shouted, grabbing her backpack, slinging it over her shoulder and turning around to leave. But then, she turned around and eyes Haley suspiciously. "Are you leaving too?"

"Yes…"

"Can you go first?" Leah suddenly asked with a look of paranoia in her eyes. "I don't want to pass through the door one moment and then have five claws sticking out of my chest the next…"

"Fine!" Haley nearly shouted, exasperated. Haley then stomped toward the door and threw it open with her massive strength. But as she stepped onto the tiles of the school hallway, she let out a yelp as her foot slid away from her. The next thing Haley knew, she slammed onto her back and was sliding down the hallway. Haley didn't know exactly long she slid down the hall, but she soon grunted as she slammed into a row of lockers, her feet hitting the lockers first before they slid up so that her rear was touching the locker. Haley had made her wings appear in order to slow down or even stop her slide, but her wings had failed.

Haley groaned for a second before she heard another yell and could see Leah coming right for her. Leah slammed into the locker to Haley's side, sitting up so that her back was touching the door. The next thing either of them knew, Olivia and Dena were walking up to them, snickering.

Haley growled; she knew that the two were behind the prank. Haley could feel her temperature rising as she tried to get up, but she let out another small yelp as her foot slipped again and she fell back down, making the two other girls start to laugh.

"What is going on?" a voice suddenly demanded, and all four girls turned their heads to see the school's principal, Principal Alexus. Principal Alexus was a fairly short woman, who dressed casually, making her appear more like the students of the school. As she approached the scene before her, Principal Alexus looked down at the wet floor.

"Oh, Principal Alexus!" Olivia kissed up. "Haley and uh…this other girl slipped. We tried to help them, but it was too late!" As Olivia lied through her teeth, Dena simply nodded, confirming Olivia's words.

The principal just stared at the two girls before turning her head to Haley, who was still on the floor and Leah, who had managed to slowly get to her feet. "Miss Long, you know it is against school rules to assume your dragon form. That will be one hour of detention after school for both of you."

As she heard the news that she had gotten detention, Leah slipped on the slippery floor and fell back down. "What do you mean I have detention?" Leah asked. "What did I do wrong?"

Principal Alexus did not answer Leah, and instead turned to face Olivia and Dena. "And exactly how did the floor get wet in the first place?"

"Uh…" Olivia started, but stopped. She was stumped.

"Exactly…" Principal Alexus frowned. "I am afraid that will mean detention for the both of you as well." The principal then turned and started to leave, but Dena called her back.

"What did we do?" the cheerleader asked stupidly. "She's the one who went dragon!"

"Yes…" Principal Alexus turned around again. "But then again, if you hadn't pulled that prank, she wouldn't have done so in the first place. I wouldn't even be giving Miss Long detention, but I personally believe in treating all of my students in the same way."

LINE BREAK

The thief continued to run until she could run no longer. The thief stopped for a brief second and put her hands on her knees, taking a few seconds to catch her breath. As soon as her breath had been caught, she straightened up and continued walking until she saw a lone building in the middle of the street.

"That will do…" the thief muttered as she walked closer to the building and pushed open the door. Stepping in, the thief turned and closed the door behind her before turning around, only to get an odd feeling. Narrowing her eyes, the thief reached to her belt and pulled out her gun and held it in both of her hands as she moved across the room. As she reached the other side, her eyes suddenly widened as she heard a flapping sound.

The thief whirled around and pointed her gun at the door where her stashed money was on the floor. However, nothing else was there. With a suspicious look on her face, the thief lowered her weapon, only to yell out as something slammed into her back. The thief yelled as she slammed onto the ground before she rolled across the ground, coming to a rest at her bag of money.

The thief recovered quickly and looked up to see a large cloaked figure standing on the other side of the room. The thief's eyes shifted to her gun, but she found that it was at an equal distance between them. She would be destroyed before she could even grab it. Mentally groaning, the thief went for the next best thing: her money. The thief grabbed hold of her back and hurled it at the figure.

As the thief scrambled for her weapon, her jaw nearly dropped as she saw a blast of fire coming from the hood, which traveled across the room and roasted the bag of money. By this time, the thief had grabbed her gun and gotten to her feet, now pointing her weapon at him. But instead of cowering in fear like she had hoped, the figure just chuckled, and the next thing she knew, the dragon was right in front of her and his tail, which she could not make out the color of, flashed by her and slapped the gun out of her hands.

"If you're so strong, why don't you fight me without your little weapon?" the figure growled.

The thief responded by slamming her boot into the figure's gut, and as she flipped backwards and grabbed her gun, she could see that the figure had not even grunted at her blow. The thief scowled as her gun powered up as she prepared to fire. "You owe me back that money!" the thief spat.

The thief then could hear another chuckle coming from the figure. "Typical…" he said. "All criminals care about is money. Shame…"

"I just want the money that is rightfully mine…" the thief spat as she fired her gun, making three steel spikes come out from the barrel. They sped at the cloaked figure, but he dodged all three of them, the spike impaling the wall of the building.

The thief growled with annoyance as she reached into her belt and pulled out a small orb, which she pressed a button on. As soon as the thief pressed the button, the steel cover faded away and showed a light blue ball of energy that hovered away from her hand and over to the figure where it exploded. The explosion was followed with a grunt as the cloaked figure was thrown from his feet and thrown against the wall; the thief grinned as the figure fell to his knees.

"Not bad…" the cloaked figure spoke as he slowly stood up. "Not bad at all…You made these weapons?"

"You don't have to be a powerful man or a magical creature to pose a threat…" the thief growled.

"Then let me propose a deal…" the figure slowly approached her. "I am in need of your skill and weapons. If you help me, I am willing to get you the money that you desire. What do you say?"

"And why should I trust you?" the thief asked, pointing her gun at him again.

The figure didn't answer, instead he extended a claw and wrapped it around her hand as his claws started to glow green, the green energy taking hold of her hand and making it glow and making the thief gasp in pain. Finally, the glowing stopped and the figure stepped back.

"I keep my promises; all you have to do is keep yours…"

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

In detention, Haley dipped the cloth into her bucket of water before she brought it out of the bucket and onto the board to scrub it. While Haley and Leah scrubbed the boards, Olivia and Dena sat at the desks, chatting. Finally, Haley had enough. Turning around, she growled. "This is your faults! Why aren't either of you doing anything?"

Olivia scoffed. "Haley, we're popular. We don't do anything we don't have to do. 'Kay?"

Haley gritted her teeth and clenched her fists as she turned back to the board and started to scrub it again. Leah sighed as she put the cloth back into the bucket. "I can't believe this happened to me…" she moaned. "My brother warned me that something like this would happen with dragons going to my school."

"What?" Haley couldn't help but ask. Throwing her cloth back into the bucket filled with water, she turned her attention to Leah. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"My brother always said that being in the same building with a dragon would only cause trouble!" Leah repeated. "My family has been through so much because of your kind!"

LINE BREAK

"I am so glad that you have decided to help me…" the cloaked figure said as he stood in front of the thief. "I assure you, you will get what you rightfully deserve. Now, this is what you will be stealing for me." He reached into a cloak and pulled out a piece of paper which he handed to her. "You'll be able to do that, seeing as you've had experience in heists."

"What is it?" the thief asked, looking at the picture.

"It doesn't matter what it is." The cloaked figure growled impatiently. "There will be something inside that shop that looks exactly like that! Just take it…and bring it to me."

"Fine…" the thief turned and walked over to the door and opening it. Before she stepped out, she turned back to the figure. "And you better have my money before I get back!" And then, she pulled her hood over her head and walked out, closing the door behind her.

LINE BREAK

"What are you talking about?" Haley demanded as Leah leaned against the board. "I've never done anything to you! I think I have the right to know why you freak out around me. You're different than everyone else; you're actually afraid of me! Why? I've done nothing to you!"

"Your kind did something to my family!" Leah shouted again. "I wouldn't expect you to understand how I feel. You have no idea what it is like to almost lose your brother."

"Try me…" Haley growled.

Leah growled with frustration, and she reached into the bucket and pulled out the cloth again, which she used to resume her scrubbing of the board. "Fine, maybe it will teach you about how cruel your kind is! My brother was attacked by a dragon. He almost didn't make it…"

"What?" Haley asked; her anger fading. "But why? How long ago? I…Dragons aren't supposed to hurt people…"

"That's a lie…" Leah turned to face Haley. "It was five years ago. My brother used to think that dragons were cool. So did I. Then we were attacked, and while my injuries were only minor, my brother nearly died. You have no idea what that did to me, my family and my brother! Your kind shouldn't be allowed near regular humans. You'll only cause harm…"

For once, Haley was speechless; not knowing what else to do, she looked down at her feet with wide eyes.

Suddenly, the door opened and Principal Alexus stepped in, eying the boards and the rest of the room. "Well…" she said. "It looks like you two have been working hard."

"Oh, thank-you, Principal Alexus!" Olivia got up from her chair and walked over to the principal. "Dena and I did most of the work. Haley and what's-her-name just kept talking."

"Olivia, just go." Principal Alexus sighed as she rolled her temples. "All four of you can go."

LINE BREAK

At Canal Street Electronics, Fu Dog was lying on the couch chewing on a bone while Sun sat on the other side, looking through a book full of magical items and other things. Lu Dog, on the other hand, was on the floor, her leash tied around the couch leg. She looked up at the bone with wide eyes. "Could I have a bite of that?"

Fu looked down at the other dog and was about to say something, but Sun cut him off. "Don't say anything, Fu Dog…" Sun closed the book and started to stand up. "I think it would be best if you didn't start any arguments."

"What? Hey!" Fu complained. "I wasn't going to say an…"

But before Fu could finish, Sun held out her hand, silencing the dog. "Shh…" the Korean Dragon hushed. "I hear something." The next thing Fu Dog knew, Sun transformed into her sky blue dragon form and went over to the wall just as the door opened and a cloaked figure walking inside with what looked like a gun in her hands.

The intruder walked around the front room for a while before the intruder started to make its way over to the room where Sun, Fu and Lu were. Just as the intruder passed through the door, Sun threw her arm out, slamming it into the intruder's chest and throwing her backwards on to the floor, making the intruder drop the gun and making her hood fall down, revealing her face.

"What are you doing here?" Sun demanded.

The intruder didn't respond; instead, she reached over and grabbed her gun, pressing a button before firing, causing a length of rope to shoot out, which wrapped around Sun's body, pinning her arms at her side. With a tug from the intruder, Sun fell to the ground, trapped. "Fu Dog!" Sun called. "Do something!"

The intruder then turned her head as she heard a growl and Fu Dog jumped from the couch. But before the shar-pei could do anything else, the intruder pressed another button on the gun and pointed it at him. Fu Dog yapped and turned around as he ran underneath the couch as a blue blast came from the gun and blasted a hole in the floor.

"Smart dog…" the thief grinned as she turned toward the wall. "Now if I were a valuable, odd item, I'd be hidden in a safe. But where would the safe be? We'll just have to find it, won't we?" the thief then pointed the gun at the wall and started firing, blasting holes in the wall.

"Fu!" Sun shouted as she struggled. "Fu!"

"I'm coming, Sun!" Fu called as his head appeared out from underneath; the shar-pei tried to get out, but as the rest of his body started to emerge, he grunted as the rest of his body refused to come out. "Just a second!"

Lu Dog looked from the trapped Fu to Sun to the intruder as her gun blasted a hole in the wall, revealing the safe. Lu Dog's eyes widened in surprise as she realized what the thief was trying to do; turning her head, the dog started to bite through the leash connected to her collar as the thief stepped back as a red laser started to come from the steel plate on her index finger and started to try to carve into the safe.

Finally, the collar fell away and Lu got up, running at the thief and leaping up, biting down right below her back. The thief jerked back, yelling in agony, as she tried to shake the dog off of her. Finally, Lu Dog lost her grip and she flew off, hitting the ground next to Sun.

"Wretched animal!" the thief spat as she turned her attention back to the safe and once again tried to carve a hole in it, but to her surprise, the laser wasn't working. Taking a step back, the thief gasped. "Why isn't it working?"

Suddenly, the thief grunted as Sun slammed into her, knocking her against the wall. As she hit the wall, the thief got a glimpse of the dog that bit her trying to get the dragon's ropes loose from her teeth. "What are you after?" Sun once again demanded, but the intruder responded by bringing her boot up and kicking Sun in the face, making her back up over to the safe as the intruder flipped over to the other side of the room and pointed the gun at Sun, firing.

Sun's eyes widened as she saw the blue energy coming right for her. Thinking quickly, Sun jumped out of the way and hit the ground as the blue energy hit the safe seal, but instead of destroying the seal, the blast rebounded from the door and came back at the intruder, hitting her in the chest and throwing her against the wall of the room. The wall gave way and the screaming thief disappeared into the night.

As soon as the thief had disappeared, there came a small pop as Fu Dog flew from the bottom of the couch and the shar-pei hit the ground on his belly. "To quote the kid: Aw man." Fu moaned.

LINE BREAK

The thief continued to scream, that is until she came to a stop after slamming against the ground. Groaning, the thief rolled over onto her stomach and started to stand up. "Blasted dragon and dog…" she muttered, but then realized something. Was her hand…glowing and blinking a green light?

Before she could ponder what was going on a moment longer, she let out a yell of surprise as her glowing and blinking hand jerked up and forced her off of her feet and forward in speeding manner.

LINE BREAK

Sun sat on the couch with both Lu and Fu Dog. Sun held out a communication device which showed the face of Councilor Ulixes on it. Ulixes tried to suppress a grin as Sun spoke. "So…" Ulixes finally spoke as Sun finished talking. "You mean to tell me that Fu Dog neglected his animal guardian duties?"

"Well, I wouldn't put it that harshly…" Fu tried to defend himself, but Ulixes cut him off. "I was kind of stu…"

"Fu Dog, there is no other way to put it." Ulixes berated with a small smile on her face as she cut him off. "You are failing to show the same loyalty to Haley Long as you showed her brother nine years ago. Perhaps she needs a new guardian. One with unquestionable loyalty…"

"Councilor, isn't that unjust?" Sun asked. "Fu tried to help. And who could you possibly get to replace him? Fu Dog has been loyal to Haley."

"How about the dog right beside you, Dragon Park?" Ulixes said, totally ignoring Sun's question. "I think that will do. Fu Dog, you are hereby fired from being an animal guardian. Other dog…you are to take his post…"

"But…" Lu Dog tried to say, but Ulixes' form faded from the communication device. Lu Dog then heard a growling, and she turned her head to see Fu next to her, barring his teeth at her. "I didn't want this to…" she tried, but Fu cut her off.

"Forget it!" Fu jumped from the couch and started to walk away.

"Fu, please come back!" Sun called. "We can fix this! I promise!"

But her plea fell on deaf ears; Fu left the room and headed toward the door just as it opened and Haley stepped inside. "Sorry I'm late." Haley tried to apologize, but she looked down to see Fu Dog leaving. "Uh, Fu?" she asked.

"Stupid golden…" Fu muttered. "Taking my job…stupid council…" Fu ignored Haley and walked out the door and turned, walking down the sidewalk.

"Uh…" Haley turned her head to see that Sun was at the doorway. "Did I miss something?"

LINE BREAK

The thief groaned as she hit the cold floor after she smashed through the wall of the building. Groaning, the thief sat up to see that her hand had stopped blinking that green color. "What the heck was that all about?" she asked, only to hear a flapping noise and feel a presence behind her.

Scrambling to her feet, the thief snatched her gun and whirled around, pointing the gun at the cloaked figure. The cloaked figure was unfazed. "Well?" he asked. "Did you manage to get it?"

"I found it." The thief informed. "It was in a safe as the shop." But her answer only got a loud roar for a response.

"That was not what I was asking!" the figure shouted. "I asked if you managed to get the item! Now, did you or did you not?"

"No!" the thief growled. "That safe was not affected by my weapons! Not to mention the dragon and the dogs!"

"Well, that is a shame…" the figure turned around. "If I get you the weapons you need, do you think you will be able to try again?"

"Why don't you get it yourself?" the thief retorted. "I'm not going back there! I'll get my money the way I used to. I'm out of here!"

The thief then lowered her gun and turned around. "Oh, you still owe me the money for my efforts!" she shouted as she started to walk towards the door, but just as she reached the door, her hand started to blink green again and she felt herself being dragged over to the figure, who wrapped his claw around her wrist.

"You see, my friend…" the figure growled threateningly. "I tell you when you leave, when you come and where you go. If I need you, your hand will blink and you will come to me. Pretty cool, isn't it?"

In response, the thief, yanked her hand free from the claws and whirled around, pointing her gun at his head.

"You see…" the cloaked figure continued. "Until you get me what I want, you are not going anywhere..."

"Unless I destroy you…" the thief retorted, her gun starting to power up.

"You'll find it won't be that easy…" the cloaked figure reached down and yanked her gun away from her grip as he threw it across the room. "It will be much easier to succeed at the mission I have given you. Until you bring me that item, I will not release you from my control…"

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: So, what did you think? I hope you liked it. Please review.**

**As for Brad and the other cop, that is actually a scene that will have importance in a future chapter/episode. **


	4. Chapter 4

American Dragon: Haley Long (Season One)

Chapter/Episode 4: Why Can't We Be Enemies?

"Go!" Sun commanded as she and Haley stood on the roof of the shop, in front of several stone statues. Lu Dog stood behind the statues, a remote control in front of her. "Wait, what do I do?" the young golden asked.

"Now, Lu!" Sun called, and the young golden looked down at the controller with an unsure look on her face before brought her paw down, activating the statues, which shot at Haley, just as the young dragon jumped into the air as she transformed into her pink dragon form.

Haley looked down at the statue as one bent down; Haley looked passed the statues to see that Lu Dog was having trouble with the controls. Haley sighed at the sight, but she soon grunted as a metal fist shot up and slammed into her chin. With a grunt, Haley hit the ground and reverted to her human form.

"Haley!" she could hear Sun's voice as her dragon master approached her. "Haley, are you okay?"

Haley slowly sat up. "I'm fine…" Haley told Sun as she slowly got to feet as she watched the young golden retriever walked over to her.

"I am so sorry…" Lu apologized. "I didn't… I didn't mean to…"

"It's alright…" Haley muttered. "I need to get ready for school…" As Haley walked off, followed by Sun, Lu Dog's eyes widened and she lowered her head.

BLACKOUT; PLAY THEME SONG

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Fu Dog was lying on the couch chewing on a bone when Haley came down the stairs and grabbed her backpack. "See you later, Fu." Haley said as she put her backpack on and started walking for the door. As soon as Haley left the shop and the door closed behind her, Lu Dog came down the stairs and slowly walked over to the couch.

"Um, Fu Dog…" she spoke, the older shar-pei refusing to recognize the younger dog. "I'm, um, sorry for taking your job. I didn't want to do that. I…"

"Yeah, you shouldn't have taken my job…" Fu replied, turning his head to face her. "Considering the fact that you are just a criminal who got busted by the council and now you're an animal guardian…"

"I don't want to be an animal guardian…" Lu Dog replied, her eyes wide. "And I didn't mean any harm. All I wanted was a little food…" 

"Yeah, whatever…" Fu jumped down from the couch and started to leave the room. As soon as the shar-pei had left the room, Lu Dog lowered her head, deep in thought.

LINE BREAK

Haley sighed as she walked to school rubbing her chin where the statue had hit her. It still hurt and would probably leave a mark. Haley missed Fu Dog as her animal guardian. She didn't understand why he had to have been fired. From what Sun had said, he had done nothing wrong; he had done worse.

In fact, Haley was so preoccupied with her thoughts that she was not looking where she was going. She did not realize where she was until she bumped into someone; on impulse, she formed her claws and the person she bumped into turned around, and Haley gasped.

The person she bumped into was a boy, probably around her age. The boy had rather shot black hair and also wore a leather jacket and a gold T-shirt and baggy jeans. "Hey, watch where you're going!" he shouted, but then he noticed Haley's dragon claws, which Haley forced to fade away. "Oh…" the boy said. "You're a dragon…"

"Are you going to judge me for that?" Haley growled.

"Why would I do that?" the boy asked her. "Personally, I think dragons are cool." Then, the boy held out his hand. "My name is Aidan. Aidan Detrick. What's yours?"

"Haley Long…" Haley said, slowly taking his hand. It was then that she noticed that she was at her school. "Oh, I've never seen you around here. Do you go here?"

"I do now." Aidan told her. "Today is my first day."

"Oh…" Haley couldn't help but smile. "Well…I guess I'll see you around."

"You most certainly will, Haley." Aidan smiled at her. "You most certainly will. But, before we say our goodbyes for the moment, do you mind telling me where the principal's office is?"

"Um, why don't I just lead you to it?" Haley offered.

"I think that would suffice." Aidan smiled at her.

LINE BREAK

Haley made her way to the cafeteria as soon as the bell rang. Picking up a tray, she got in line, only to recognize the black hair and the leather jacket that the person in front of her was wearing. "Oh, hi." Haley spoke, and Aidan turned around, a small smile appearing.

"Haley…" Aidan spoke. "Good to see you again. I honestly didn't think it would be so soon."

Before Haley could say another word, she heard a scoff; both Haley and Aidan turned their heads to see Olivia Mears standing in front of them. "What are you saying, new guy?" she demanded. "If you are seen with this freak, it will destroy your popularity. You should come with me. Filthy, disgusting dragons and potentially popular boys don't mix…"

Haley just stared at Olivia. She completely expected Aidan to go with her, to call her a freak, but when she looked at Aidan, she found that the boy seemed to be fighting an uncontrollable fit of rage. Aidan was looking down, his eyes were squeezed shut and he was gritting his teeth and clenching his fists. Finally, he looked up and pointed at her.

"What is your problem?" he demanded loudly, making everyone in the entire cafeteria turn and look at him directly. "If you don't like someone because they're different, fine! As much as I would like to change that, I can't! But at least keep it to yourself! Don't treat them poorly! What did she ever do to you?"

Haley stared at Aidan with wide eyes, but she could soon see Leah Belden coming with her lunch tray. She stopped beside Aidan and Haley could see that she did not look happy. "It's not what she did, but what her kind did to me brother!" Leah declared. "If I told you that a dragon almost killed an innocent human, could you honestly tell me that you would stick up for her?"

Aidan turned his attention from Olivia and turned it to Leah. Haley watched as Aidan simply stared at Leah, and then finally, Aidan turned back to the rest of the room's population and let out a loud shout as he lifted his knee up and snapped his empty lunch tray over it. Turning to Haley, he spoke: "If you'll excuse me…" before he left the room, leaving Haley absolutely shocked.

LINE BREAK

Back at the shop, Lu Dog sighed as she sat up at the counter as Sun Park walked into the room. Seeing the dog's sad face, the Korean Dragon couldn't help but feel sorry for the dog and found herself walking over to her.

"What's going on?"

Lu Dog looked up at Sun. "Um, nothing." She lied.

Sun knew that the dog was lying, and she knew exactly how to get through to her. With a small smirk, Sun turned and started to walk away. "Alright." She said. "If there is nothing bothering you…"

"Wait!" Lu turned her head towards Sun as she realized that Sun was leaving. "Wait. There is something…"

Sun smiled knowingly as she turned and she walked back over to the golden before sitting down next to her as Lu spoke: "It's Fu Dog. He hates me. He thinks that I stole his duty from him. It wasn't my fault. I was just trying to stop that thief from stealing."

"Well…" Sun said after a moment. "I don't really know what to say, but I think Fu Dog will come around. It might take awhile, but it isn't like him to hold a grudge forever. Unless you are one of about ten magical beings, that is…"

"Well, what can I do?"

"Fu must learn that it is truly not your fault and that it was what the council ordered." Sun answered. "But if you feel like you must do something, there may be nothing better for you to do than to apologize."

"You think he'll accept it?"

Sun stood up and looked at Lu. "Well, there's only one way to find out."

LINE BREAK

As soon as the bell dismissing all students from Millard Fillmore High School rang out, Haley rushed out of her final class and into the hallway, looking around wildly. She had to find Aidan; she had never known any human react like that to a dragon and to someone treating a dragon as inferior. Haley knew that there were a couple groups that each had a couple members of humans who worshipped dragons, but she didn't know if there were any in Manhattan. Maybe Aidan was a member of one of those cults…

After searching for a moment, Haley finally spotted Aidan's black leather jacket and black hair. As Haley managed to push her way through the crowds of people, she could see that Aidan was heading for the exit. As Aidan stepped out the doors and down the steps, Haley rushed up to him and followed him as quietly as she could.

Haley decided to wait for a moment and she watched as Aidan walked down the sidewalk before she finally leapt into the air and transformed into her pink dragon form before taking off.

Haley looked down at Aidan from the air as she soared above him. She thought he was heading home and would keep on going straight, making it so that she was surprised when she saw Aidan turning a corner and walking into a dark alley. Haley swooped down and landed on a building as she watched Aidan walk down the alley. However, suddenly, Haley heard a growl; down below, she could see Aidan freeze as two dogs, one a pit-bull and the other a border collie jumped in front of him, growling.

"What are you doing here, human!" the pit-bull growled. "This is our territory!"

"Your kind isn't welcomed here!" the Border collie added. "Why don't you just leave, or we will have to call our boss. And we assure you, you don't want that…"

"Oh, but all I want is to get home…" Aidan replied. "I mean you know harm…"

"I'm warning you…human…" the pit-bull warned. "We'll give you five seconds to get out. If you aren't gone in that time, we'll tear you to pieces. One…Two…Three…"

Watching from above, Haley's heart rose to her throat. She had to help him. Thinking quickly, Haley leapt from the roof and started to fly down, but the pit-bull had already jumped at Aidan. But to Haley's surprise, Aidan jumped back from the dog and put his fist into the air.

"Dragon up!" the teen shouted and a bright light consumed him. When the light faded, there stood a gold dragon.

Haley's eyes widened in shock, and she completely forgot about the situation they were both in. "You're a…dragon?"

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Haley continued to stare in shock at the golden dragon in front of her, even as Aidan smiled at her and spoke: "Hello, Haley. Do you mind helping me deal with these pesky dogs?"

Haley was snapped back to reality when she could hear the growling of the dogs. Turning around, Haley watched as both dogs leapt from the ground with their teeth ready to bite down. Haley immediately jumped in front of Aidan, the Border collie slamming into her and knocking her to the ground as the pit-bull made his way to the golden dragon.

Haley grunted as she felt the dog pin her down. "It's a shame that you were in the wrong place at the wrong time…" the border collie growled. "Because now I'm going to tear into your…"

But before the dog could say anything else, it yapped as the pit-bull slammed into him, resulting in the two dogs slamming against the ground as Aidan landed beside Haley and offered her his claws. Haley took them quickly, and the American Dragon got to her feet just as the two dogs jumped to their paws.

"You're going to regret that, dragons!" the pit-bull growled before he jumped up, barring his teeth at the golden dragon, who merely stepped back and blew fire out of his mouth. The pit-bull's eyes widened and he dived to the ground, barely missing the flames.

"Oh…" Aidan mocked as he stopped blowing the flames. "You missed the flames. That's a real shame. It would have given new meaning to the term 'hot dog'."

The pit-bull growled as he slowly backed up and rejoined the Border collie. "You got lucky this time, dragons…" he growled. "But next time, you won't be…" Then, the two dogs turned and fled.

Haley watched with shock at the two dogs fled, and then she turned to face Aidan as he walked over to her. "To answer your previous question, yes I am a dragon." He smiled at her. "Sorry I never told you…"

"It's okay." Haley replied. "I think it's childish to hold grudges."

"That's…um…very big of you…" Aidan said with an unsure voice. "Well, I should get going. I need to get home." Aidan then he flared his wings, only to gasp in pain as Haley saw a bite mark on the tip of his right wing "Oww!" he hissed, reverting to his human form.

"Are you okay?" Haley asked, making her way to his side.

"It's fine…" Aidan replied. "There's just no way I'll be able to fly home tonight. And I honestly don't feel like walking…"

"You could always come to my house." Haley offered. "The walk isn't too far."

"Oh, I could never intrude, Haley…"

"My parents won't mind." Haley told him. "In fact, I think they'd be happy to know there is another dragon here."

LINE BREAK

"You made a friend?" Susan stared in shock as her teenage daughter stood in the living room with a new boy she had never seen before in her life. Finally, Susan's shock faded and she smiled. "HALEY! YOU MADE A FRIEND! Stay here, I'll go get the camera!"

Aidan could only stare as Susan turned and rushed up the stairs, just as her husband, Jonathan started to come down. "Hey there, whoa! What's the rush?" When he got no answer, Jonathan simply shrugged and finished coming down the stairs. "Well, who's your new friend, Haley-hoo?"

Upon being called this name, Haley blushed as Aidan started to chuckle. "DAD!"

"What?" Jonathan asked; his smile fading. "I've always called you that." Before Haley could say anything else, her mother came down the stairs with a very small digital camera.

"Smile!" Susan ordered cheerfully as she pressed a button, causing a flash to blind the two dragons. "So…" Susan lowered her camera. "How long have you two known each other and what is your friend's name?"

"His name is Aidan and we just met each other today…" Haley lowered her head.

"I'm not trying to sound like a nosey-rosey, but is there a reason you are here?" Jonathan asked. "Not that I don't want you here…"

"Aidan hurt his wing." Haley replied honestly. "I told him he could come here."

Jonathan and Susan both looked at each other before they turned their heads back to their daughter and her friend and they nodded. "Okay, Haley." Susan said. "Aidan can stay."

LINE BREAK

Haley sat next to Aidan as her parents chuckled at the dinner table. "So Aidan…" Susan asked. "Where do you live?"

"Well, I don't live anywhere really special…" Aidan spoke as he took a sip of his drink. "I actually live alone in a rundown building in a really run down part of the city. I live alone."

"Really?" Jonathan couldn't help but ask.

"Yeah..." Aidan frowned, and Haley was almost positive that she could see anger flash through his eyes. "See, my parents died right after I was born and I was adopted by a seemingly nice family. Unfortunately, they didn't turn out to be so nice. Nine years ago, the existence of magical creatures was revealed, and my adoptive parents didn't take kindly to that. They considered dragons and other magical creatures evil. Then came my thirteenth birthday and I sprouted wings and blew fire out of my mouth. You would think that my adoptive parents would understand. Nope! They threw me to the curb and told me to get lost!"

"I'm so sorry, Aidan…" Haley's eyes widened.

Aidan looked up from his food on the table and growled: "It's as if the Huntsclan never left this world…"

LINE BREAK

The bell rang out all over Millard Fillmore High School the next day and Haley found herself in the hallways along with several students. Haley searched around the crowds of students and finally found Aidan closing his locker.

Haley pushed herself passed a couple of kids in front of her and finally made her way over to Aidan just as he turned around. Aidan's eyes widened in surprise as he saw the American Dragon, but a small smile made its way to his face; "Haley…" he said. "What a pleasant surprise…"

"Aidan, I just wanted to…" Haley started, but she stopped. She didn't know what she wanted to say to him.

"It's alright." Aidan told her. "I'm sorry I went off like that last night. I'm usually not like that. It's just…a painful thought."

"I understand completely." Haley told him.

"Well, I'd say that's a relief." Aidan grinned, but then it faded and his eyes stared into hers. "Haley, if you don't mind…I'd like to talk to you…at my place. There's something that has been bugging me."

"What is it?" Haley asked, but before Aidan could answer, Haley's eyes widened as she saw Olivia Mears walking down the hall. "Oh no…"

"What's wrong?" Aidan asked, turning around, catching the attention of Olivia.

"What a sight!" Olivia cackled. "The Dragon Girl has a boyfriend! Aw, how precious!" Olivia then started to walk away, cackling like a witch. As soon As Olivia had disappeared into the crowd of people, Aidan growled and clenched his fists.

"Aidan, don't listen to her." Haley told her new friend. "Once you get used to her remarks, it's much easier to ignore her."

Aidan nodded. "Actually, that is what I wanted to talk to you about. So, are you up to coming to my place?"

LINE BREAK

Back at Canal Street Electronics, Lu Dog spotted Fu Dog lying on the couch as she peeked into the back room. Quickly making up her mind to follow Sun's advice, Lu stepped into the room and made her way to the couch just as Fu Dog looked up at her.

"Fu?" Lu spoke. "Listen, I know I've already said this, but I'm sorry for what happened."

"I don't need your apology…" Fu Dog growled, jumping off of the couch before the dog started to walk out of the room.

"Fu Dog, please!" the golden tried to beg, rushing up to the shar-pei and blocking his exit. "What can I do to make it up to you?"

"You want to know what you can do?" Fu suddenly growled at her. "You can get out of her, doggy. Or better yet, you could get yourself fired. I was an animal guardian for decades. I made a promise to the old man to do whatever I can…"

Lu Dog then watches as Fu lowered his head and walked out of the room, leaving the golden retriever alone.

LINE BREAK

"Here we are…" Aidan smiled, spreading his arms as he showed off his run-down shack as Haley stepped inside. "Haley, you must tell me. What do you think?"

"Well…" Haley was at a loss for words as she stared at the interior of Aidan's home. "I…I can't believe you live here…" To Haley's surprise, Aidan chuckled at her words.

"Well, it's not like I can live anywhere else." He replied. "But…I think my luck just might change."

"What are you talking about?"

"Do you want a drink?" Aidan suddenly asked, ignoring Haley's question and starting to walk towards a doorway. "I'm going to go make us something to drink…"

Haley tried to say something, but before she could even form the words in her head, Aidan had disappeared into his "kitchen". Haley sighed and resumed her look around the shack. "Haley…" Haley suddenly returned her attention to Aidan as he entered the room carrying two glasses, one of which he handed to her.

"What is it?" Haley asked, looking at the glass.

"What's the matter?" Aidan smiled. "You don't trust me? Well, if you must know, it is a drink that I created. I haven't come up with a name for it. It's good. Just try it."

Haley looked down at the glass for a moment before she brought it to her lips and took a gulp of the drink as Aidan spoke: "Haley, do those humans just enrage you sometimes?" Hearing this, Haley spit out her drink.

"What do you mean?" Haley demanded. "And where are you going with this?"

Aidan didn't answer; instead, he reached into the pocket of his jacket and pulled out a small chain that was meant to fit around someone's neck. At the end of the chain, was a big, sharp black claw. "What is that?" Haley asked; she was getting a little nervous now.

"Haley, this is the solution to my problem, to your problem and the problem of every single magical creature on this planet…" Aidan spoke. "This is the claw of the bravest, most insightful and righteous dragons to ever live! The Dark Dragon…"

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

"Are you insane?" Haley demanded; her eyes wide as she watched Aidan hold the Dark Dragon's claw in his hands. "The Dark Dragon wasn't brave or righteous! He was a homicidal monster!"

"Haley, just try to listen to me…" Aidan tried to step toward her, but Haley stepped back; Haley kept on taking steps back as Aidan tried to approach her, resulting in Haley being against the wall as Aidan got close enough to her. "Haley, look into your heart. The Dark Dragon was right…"

"No, he wasn't!" Haley moved to the side and made her way to the door. "He wasn't Aidan! He was wrong about humans. They aren't evil. We just need to earn their…"

"TRUST?" Aidan exploded, transforming into his golden dragon form in a bright light. "DO YOU HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT THOSE EVIL SCUMBAGS WILL EVER ACCEPT US? YOU ARE DEAD WRONG, HALEY!"

"What are you going to do, Aidan?" Haley demanded, her voice shaking. "Tell me what you're going to do. Just know that I will stop…" Haley's declaration was stopped short as Aidan's claws wrapped around her neck, making her gasp.

"You're not going to stop me, Haley…" Aidan growled. "I don't want you to stop me. I want you to realize that humans deserve to be put in their place. As for what I'm going to do, I'm going to do just that. The humans will learn that magical beings are not to be messed with. So, what is it going to be? Are you going to help me?"

Haley was about to answer verbally, but she suddenly gagged as Aidan tightened his grip around her neck. Glaring into his eyes, Haley defiantly shook her head. At first, it looked like Aidan was in shock, but anger soon flashed through his eyes. "Very well then, Haley…" he growled. "But just know that I can't let you get in my way…"

Before Haley could react, she felt herself flying through the air as Aidan hurled her against the wall. Haley grunted as she crashed through the wall, where she fell backwards and slammed her head against the ground, knocking her unconscious. After seeing that Haley had not moved for about a minute, Aidan turned around and lifted off of his feet, slamming into the wall of his shack, going through it and into the day.

LINE BREAK

Leah sighed as she pushed open the door to her room before she dropped her backpack and walked over to her bed. Sitting down, Leah sighed as she lied down onto her back. After another moment, Leah rolled over onto her side and closed her eyes, only to open her eyes when a thudding sound rang out through the room.

Leah jumped to her feet and walked to the door, but just as she placed her hand on the knob, a golden tail wrapped around her mouth, making it so that she could not scream. Leah was them whirled around so that she could see a dragon Aidan standing in front of her as he unwrapped his tail from her mouth.

"Hello, Leah…" Aidan smiled as Leah could only stare at him, her mouth wide open. The next thing Leah knew, his tail was coming right for her and her world went black as his tail made contact with her skull.

LINE BREAK

Back in Aidan's shack, Haley groaned as she slowly opened her eyes; sitting up, Haley put a claw to her head and rubbed as her head only to have her eyes widen as she heard a ringing noise. Reverting to her human form, Haley reached into her pocket and pulled out her communication device; pressing a button, Haley could see Sun's holographic form.

"Haley, where are you?" Sun asked. "You're late for dragon training! You've never done this before…"

"I'm sorry, Sun…" Haley apologized. "But I have a problem that I need to solve. Just give me a couple more minutes."

"Haley, what's going…?" Sun started to ask, but Haley lowered the device and Sun's image faded as Haley transformed into her pink dragon form with a wave of her arm. Then, Haley lifted off her feet and flew out a hole in the wall…

LINE BREAK

Students chuckled and chatted with each other as they walked along the halls of Millard Fillmore High School. Inside the girl's bathroom, Leah whimpered into the single piece of duck-tape that was placed over her mouth as Aidan finished tying the ropes that were around her body. Leah's hands and feet were already tied together and the frightened girl sat next to three explosives; as Aidan finished with her, he grabbed the wires of the explosives and hooked them onto Leah, making her whimper again.

"Oh, don't worry…" Aidan smiled as he patted her head with his clawed hand. "Don't you understand? You should be honored! You're going to be a big blow to the humans of this world. You are going to help them realize just how cruel they have been to my kind. You'll be a hero…"

Aidan then chuckled as Leah whimpered in fear and he stepped away and reached down, retrieving the detonator. "It will be all over soon enough…" Aidan smiled at her, but before he could press the button, there came a crashing sound from above as Haley smashed through the roof and slammed into Aidan.

Aidan grunted as he flew backwards, the detonator dropping to the ground. Haley hovered in the air as Aidan smashed into the wall of the bathroom stall, the wood splintering as the golden dragon slammed onto the cold floor. Before Aidan had any time to recover, Haley growled as she swooped at her enemy and slammed her tail into him; Aidan was lifted off of the ground and he spun in the air as he ripped through the walls of the next two stalls before he slammed against the bathroom wall.

Haley flew at Aidan and was about to deliver a blow with her fist, but before she could, Aidan opened his mouth and let out a torrent fire. Haley let out a gasp as the fire hit her and she was thrown against the opposite wall. As Haley hit the ground, she looked up to see Aidan landing on the ground right in front of her.

"Well, Haley…" Aidan smiled. "This certainly is a surprise. How did you find me?" As Aidan talked, Haley noticed that Aidan's tail was snagging the detonator.

"NO!" Haley shouted as she forced herself up and slammed into the golden dragon; Aidan fell backwards and landed on his back with Haley on top. "Don't do this, Aidan!" Haley begged. "Don't sink down to their level! As for how I found you, I found it obvious that you would strike at the place where you saw people discriminating against a dragon…"

"Good thinking…" Aidan smiled and Haley felt herself being thrown backwards as Aidan got up and his tail delivered the detonator to his claws. "Haley, it's too late for these people. Why don't you try to save yourself?"

Haley's eyes widened as she then saw that Aidan was going into press the button on the detonator. Thinking quickly, Haley released a blast of fire from her mouth which shot up and consumed Aidan's opposite hand before it could press the button.

Aidan's eyes widened in shock agony and he let out a roar of pain, giving Haley the opportunity to ram her head into him. A grunt added itself to his howls of pain as Aidan fell backwards and onto the ground, the detonator falling from his claw and sliding across the floor.

Haley turned and faced Leah, who still looked frightened. Haley was about to move toward the girl, but she whirled around when she heard a beeping sound. Aidan had used his tail to press the button on the detonator and was now using his tail to lift himself to his feet as his free hand clutched his damaged one. Aidan just stared at Haley for a moment before he spoke: "Good luck saving them all."

Then, Aidan flapped his wings and lifted off of the ground, slamming into the ceiling and making it give way as he disappeared.

Haley returned her attention back to Leah who was screaming into the tape with fear as the explosives beeped beside her. "Don't worry!" Haley tried to calm Leah down. "You're going to be okay! Just, calm down!" And with one swipe of her claws, the ropes fell away and Haley grabbed them, taking the explosives with her as she flew up to the ceiling and hurled the explosives out into the air. Just as the explosives exploded in the air, Haley landed on the ground and reverted to her human form/

LINE BREAK

Lu Dog entered the back room at Canal Street Electronics and sighed as she saw Fu lying on the couch snoring loudly. Shaking her head, Lu walked into the room and jumped onto the couch, her weight making the couch cave in slightly, waking Fu Dog up.

Fu Dog looked around for a second before he shook himself awake before he stared right at the golden. "What do you want?" Fu asked.

"Fu…" Lu started slowly. "I thought about what you said, and…I want out. Can you help me?"

"Say huh?" Fu asked.

"I want out of the order." Lu Dog repeated. "Can you help me get out?"

"You can't get out…" Fu lowered his head onto the couch. "The Dragon Council wants you to be an animal guardian. And what the Dragon Council wants, the Dragon Council gets. Now, why don't you leave me alone, puppy?"

"But…" Lu started, but she realized that the shar-pei was not listening to her. "Fu Dog, isn't there anyway that I can get out?"

"How am I supposed to know?"

"What about getting fired?" the golden asked. "Is there anyway that I could get fired?"

"You really want to find out?" Fu Dog lifted his head from the couch and looked right up to her. "You're really serious about this, aren't you?" 

"Fu, I don't belong here…" the golden responded. "None of you really seem to like me and I'm not happy. I feel like a prisoner…"

"I don't think you understand, puppy…" Fu shot back, only it wasn't an angry response. "You are a prisoner. This is the Council's way of you serving your sentence. That's why I can't do anything."

"Well, I want to get fired…" Lu got down to Fu's level. "And you want your job back… right?"

LINE BREAK

All the students at Millard Fillmore High School rushed outside when they heard the explosion, and now they were all crowded together looking up at the area in the sky where the explosives had gone off.

Haley sighed as she stood in the doorway watching all of the students; they had no idea what had gone on in the bathroom and were most likely completely unaware of how close they had all come to dying. Shaking her head, Haley turned around in order to walk away from the crowd, only to gasp and jump in surprise as she saw Leah standing in front of her. "Um…Haley…" she said slowly and started to walk up to her. Haley could see the nervous sweat dripping down Leah's forehead as she took it a step at the time to the dragon that had saved her.

Finally, Leah was right in front of Haley. "Haley…" Leah repeated. "I…I jus…I just wanted t…wanted to thank you…for…saving me…"

"Oh…" Haley replied. "It's cool. It's what most dragons do. Not all of them, but most of them."

"Well…" Leah looked down on the ground before looking back up at Haley with a very small smile on her face. "I guess…that not all dragons are bad…"

And then what Leah did next caught Haley completely off guard. Haley's jaw dropped as Leah brought her hand up and held it in front of her. "What I'm trying to say…" Leah added. "Is that…I'm sorry for all the things I've said to you."

Overcoming her shock, Haley nodded slightly and accepted Leah's hand, shaking it. "It's okay…" Haley spoke. "You have nothing to apologize for."

LINE BREAK

Back at Canal Street Electronics, Haley fell onto her back onto the wood floor panting as she looked up at Sun, who was smiling down on her. "Excellent job, Haley." Sun commended. "And I think that shall be enough training for today…"

Haley sighed with relief as she sat up and reverted to her human form. "Haley…" Sun continued. "Do you mind telling me why you missed training yesterday? The only time you ever did that was when…"

"I know, Sun…" Haley cut her off. "I missed training yesterday because my 'friend' had a meltdown and tried to blow up the school in order to start something with humans."

Sun seemed to think about what her student said for a moment before she nodded. "I'll report this to the Council." Sun said. "Haley, do you think this could be a problem?"

"I don't think so, Sun." Haley answered. "I defeated him. He ran away."

"That means he'll be back." Sun told her student. "It almost always means that they will be back. Haley, don't assume that because they fled, you'll not see them again. Your brother seemed to have that kind of attitude. You're more like him than you think."

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: Well, how was that? Please review!**


	5. Chapter 5

American Dragon: Haley Long (Season One)

Chapter/Episode 5: Wizard Wands and Dragon Scars

In a dark room, steel finger coverings made contact with a large keyboard as the masked thief looked up at a large, glowing computer hologram screen. On the screen, there was a large image of Haley in her dragon with a bunch of date to the side of Haley's form. "I see that you were able to hack into the Council's files…" a voice asked as the cloaked dragon walked up behind the thief. "Were you able to find any information on our dragon friend?"

"Of course I did…" the thief replied coldly. "But why do you want to know anything about her?"

"Don't be foolish, my friend…" the cloaked dragon looked at the hologram of Haley's dragon form. "One must always learn all they can about their enemies. Then, and only then can you defeat them. This dragon and her master are guarding what I desire and if I can get into her head, she will deliver it to me…"

"And what are you going to uncover about her that will make her hand that thing over to you?" the thief asked. "And if she just gives it to you, then does that mean that you don't need me anymore. Good. Now I want my money."

"Relax, my friend…" the cloaked dragon stepped away from the screen. "I think I have found something. I need you to do two things for me…"

BLACKOUT; PLAY THEME SONG

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Haley groaned as she came down the stairs and into the kitchen where her parents were sitting. Jonathan looked away from his holographic newspaper only gasp in surprise as his daughter sat down beside him at the table.

"Are you okay, Haley?" Susan Long asked as she set down her daughter's breakfast, looking at her daughter's appearance. Haley's hair had not been brushed and it was all over the place, her eyes were only have opened, there were bags under her eyes and Haley was still in her pajamas; she looked as though she was about to fall face down onto the table.

"Haley…" Jonathan spoke, repeating his wife. "Are you okay? What happened?"

"I'm fine, Dad…" Haley spoke slowly. "I just didn't sleep well. That's all."

"Did you go to bed late again?" Jonathan asked, looking back at his paper."

"No."

"Was it a dragon emergency?" Susan asked. "Did Sun wake you up late at night again?"

"No."

"Then what's wrong, Haley?" Susan asked.

"I just…" Haley tried to explain, but she found that she was having difficulty doing it. "I…I kind of had a bad dream. Look, if you don't mind, I think I'm going to skip breakfast and I'm going to go up and take a shower instead…"

Before Susan or Jonathan could even say anything, Haley got up from her chair and walked back upstairs.

LINE BREAK

Haley came back down the stairs ten minutes later; although the bags were still under her eyes, she looked much better as she was completely dressed for school and her hair was now combed. "Haley…" her father told her from the table. "You should hurry up before you're late for school."

Haley nodded as she reached the door. Grabbing her backpack, Haley opened the door and closed the door behind her. Haley sighed as she walked down the steps leading to her front door before she took off running down the sidewalk. As Haley ran toward her school, a person wearing a blue cloak stepped up to the house. Smiling, the thief put a device back onto her belt as she reached up and pulled her hood over her head.

LINE BREAK

The bell rang out all throughout Millard Fillmore High School as all of the students in Mrs. O'Yreal's class sat down at their desks as the teacher entered the room. Mrs. O'Yrael started to close the door behind her, but someone hit the door and started to push it open. Mrs. O'Yrael growled and pulled open the door to see that the person at the door was Haley.

"Aw…" Mrs. O'Yrael grinned. "Miss Dragon, it is always a pleasure to see you arrive late to my class. Now take your seat…"

As Haley started the journey to her desk, the American Dragon looked around to see that everyone in the class except for Leah was laughing madly at the humiliation Haley was now feeling.

LINE BREAK

As the bell rang once again, Haley found herself at her open locker as the other students walked around her. Sighing, Haley closed her locker with her books tucked under her arm, only to turn around and see Sierra Tatlock and Olivia Mears standing behind her. "What do you want?" Haley asked.

"Oh, I just wanted to tell you that it never gets old watching you get humiliated by Mrs. O…" Sierra smiled.

"Why don't you just leave me alone?" Haley asked, trying to walk away, but she was called back by Olivia:

"Yeah, it's great to see her get berated like that…" Olivia snickered. "But what would be even better is if Mrs. O mentioned the cut across her eye!"

Haley's eyes widened and she turned around, but the two were already walking away, laughing. Sierra stopped laughing briefly and she turned her head to Haley. "See you later, Haley!" She called before she resumed her laughing with Olivia.

Haley lowered her head and let out a small growl of frustration. Why did some people just have to be so cruel? "Haley…?" a familiar voice came from behind her; Haley slowly turned around to see Leah standing behind her. "Um, hi…" Leah said shyly. "Um, Haley…I…just don't listen to them, okay?"

"I try not to but…" Haley looked at Leah. "…But sometimes it's just so hard! Sometimes I just wish I could just…just…oh, never mind…"

"Haley, from what I've seen of you, you are so good at not letting other people's opinions of you get you down." Leah complemented. "Besides…do you really need to worry about the slash? Can't you…you know? Get it removed with magic?"

Hearing these words, Haley's eyes widened and a wide grin appeared on her face. "Why didn't I ever think of that before?" she exclaimed before she ran off, leaving Leah looking shocked.

LINE BREAK

"You want to what?" Sun Park asked in surprise as Haley told her about her plan. Sun sat on the couch in Canal Street Electronics drinking a cup of tea and there was now a small puddle of tea on the floor, which Sun had spit in surprise.

"I want to magically get this removed." Haley said again, pointing to her slash mark as Sun wiped her mouth.

"Haley…" Sun sighed. "Haley…what have I been teaching you for the past ten years?"

"How to be a dragon?"

"Haley, you know that isn't what I meant…" Sun responded, standing up. "I mean lessons. What kind of lessons have I been trying to teach you?"

"Um…" Haley thought about this for a moment before she answered. "Always treat someone as if they are already what we expect them to become, it's wrong to destroy an enemy unless it is the only option…"

"Everything happens for a reason…" Sun answered for her. "Everyone has a destiny, Haley, and everything that ever happens to you always contributes to your destiny. So therefore, I think it would be wrong to get your wound removed."

"But Sun…"

"Haley, the people who make fun of you and your appearances only do so because they are small people on the inside." Sun told her. "It is not you, but them, and if you let what they say get to you, then it becomes your problem."

LINE BREAK

Lu Dog sat on the roof of Canal Street Electronics, looking over the ledge and into the sky. The golden retriever sighed sadly as she thought about how stupid she had been to try to rob from this place. Now she was stuck here…

Suddenly, Lu turned as she heard the door leading to the roof opening and closing. Fu Dog now stood on the roof with a roll of some paper in his mouth; the shar-pei seemed happy as he trotted over to Lu, letting the paper out of his mouth and onto the roof.

"Puppy…" Fu smiled at her. "I've completed the plans…"

"What plans?" Lu asked.

"Oh, come on! Are you kidding?" Fu growled. "You told me that you wanted to get canned by the Council, a-goo-goo…"

"Oh, those plans!" Lu remembered. "Wait, I didn't know you were making plans…"

"Well, now you do…"

LINE BREAK

"See you later, honey!" the masked thief watched as Jonathan called out to his wife as he drove off in his car. As soon as she knew she was all clear, the thief ran passed the door and turned around the corner on the other side of the house and looked up to see a fire escape ladder.

"Well that makes things easier…" the thief said to herself as she started to climb up the ladder until she was on the top, peering into a window where she could see a bed and other things. Putting her fingers down on the sill, the thief pushed up, sliding the window up and allowing her to get into the room; as soon as her feet touched the floor, the thief looked around to see that the room's walls were all painted purple and there were stuffed animals and some old dolls on shelves. "Either this is the brat's room, or she has a younger sister…" the thief said before she started to search around the room.

After a couple minutes of searching, the thief had found no trace of anything that could help her. Growling, the thief stomped over to Haley's bed, grabbed her pillow and threw it across the room. The thief growled again and was about to storm over to the window when something caught her eye: on the bed, there was a pink book that had been covered by the pillow. The thief looked at it for a moment before she reached down and grabbed it, opening it and reading.

"Jackpot…"

LINE BREAK

Laughter rang out through the cloaked dragon's dark lair as he read the book, with the thief standing not far away. "This is just beautiful!" the cloaked dragon laughed. "This is perfect! I commend you for stealing a teenaged girl's diary! This is so cute! She writes about how the nasty humans hurt her feelings by being mean to her for being a dragon! Just adorable!" the dragon laughed again. "Now let's see if…aw, here we are…Perfect! Her scar…That is how I will get to her…"

Closing the diary, the cloaked dragon got up and faced the thief. "I need you to make me something…"

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

As soon as the bell rang, dismissing the students of Millard Fillmore Middle School, Haley rushed out of the building and waved her arms, transforming into a pink dragon in the middle of the sidewalk. Flapping her wings, Haley took off into the air.

Haley flew for a couple of minutes before she came to an old building; landing on the roof, Haley reverted to her human form and slipped off her backpack before looking at her watch just as a puff of smoke appeared and a man stepped out of the smoke as it faded.

As the person put a wand back into his pocket, he looked up at Haley and nodded at her. "Good…" Haley said. "I was afraid that you wouldn't get my call, Spud."

Spud chuckled as he walked over to Haley and ruffled her hair. Like Haley, Spud had changed a great deal in nine years; he now had a small beard and his hair was longer, the back of it was in a very small braid. Spud wore his regular baggy pants, but he now wore a white tank-top with a coat over it and he had gained a little weight. "How's it going, Haley?" he asked.

"Basically the same as all other magical creatures…" Haley replied. "So, how are things and how is Trixie?"

"Trixie's fine…" Spud answered. "In fact, she made into surgeon school or whatever they call it. I'm not entirely sure if that is the, you know, official name. As for me, Stacey and me are living at my Mom's. No one will give me a job because I'm magical. So…life's just super. So why did you call me? You said something about an emergency…"

"Oh yeah…" Haley remembered. "I need you to do something for me. Can you use your magic to make this disappear forever?" she pointed to the slash mark over her eye.

"Uh, sure…" Spud answered after a moment. "I think I could. Either that or you could end up with a marble for an eye."

"What?" Haley asked, taking a step back. "You did practice your magic, right?"

"Well, sure." Spud answered. "A little bit would probably be a better answer. Wait, what does everyone else think about this? What did your parents and Sun have to say?"

"I never told my parents…" Haley answered honestly. "And Sun didn't seem to like the idea."

In response, Spud looked down at his feet and shook his head. "I don't know if I should do this, Haley." Spud said. "I don't want to go against Sun's wishes."

"But Spud, you have to do it!" Haley begged, rushing up to him. "I've been having nightmares about that night. I had some after it first happened and then they went away. But then they came back not that long ago, and they've gotten worse. This morning was the result of several nights of little sleep!"

"Then don't you see, Haley?" Spud asked her, looking up to meet her gaze. "Then the scar isn't the problem, it's the memory. I can't help you with that."

"Spud, the kids also make fun of it…"

"Do you think my magic is going to change any of that either?" Spud asked. "Scar or no scar, they'll still find something to make fun of you for."

"But, Spud…"

"I can't do it, Haley…" Spud said firmly. "I'm sorry…"

Hearing Spud's words, Haley at first thought to make one more plea, but she knew it would be futile. Growling in annoyance, Haley waved her arms, transforming her into her dragon form in a pink light before she took off into the air.

Spud realized this was happening too late and he stared off. "Haley, come back!" he tried to call to her, but Haley had disappeared. "You forgot your…backpack…"

LINE BREAK

The thief sat at a wooden table working furiously on making something as the cloaked dragon stepped out of the dark and up to her. "Well, have you completed it?" he demanded.

"Just a second…" the thief sighed as she picked up a glowing green stick and pushed into a small, steel test tube-shaped object. "Here…" she handed it to him. "Just press that button and it will transform you into anything you want it to."

"And how does it do that?" the cloaked dragon asked.

"Just think of what you want to be…" the thief answered. "Oh, and then you bring it down the rest of your body so that you can fully transform."

"Right…" the cloaked dragon pressed the button the device, causing a small, bright green light to come out. The cloaked dragon moved the device down to his feet and the transformation began. A green light seemed to completely hide the cloaked dragon's body, and when it faded, a wizard stood in its place. The figure had a purple wizard cap that went down and appeared to cover his eyes and cape that had a collar that came up and hid his facial features. He also wore an all dark red robe. "Wow…" he remarked. "Interesting toy…Now, what about my wand?'

"Here…" the thief got up from her seat and walked over to him, handing him a "wand". "I'm leaving now, and you owe me that money." She told him before she started to make her way to the exit.

"Not so fast…" the cloaked dragon, now a wizard, called back to her, making her turn around to face him as he approached her. "You will stay here until I come back with my prize. Then you can go."

"What? How dare you?" the thief growled.

"What's the matter?" the cloaked dragon mocked as he opened the door. "Can't handle a few more hours?" he then laughed as he closed the door behind him, leaving the thief to clench her fists and growl in rage.

LINE BREAK

"Okay, here we are…" Fu Dog closed the door as he and Lu Dog stood alone in the middle of a small room where Fu's plans were lying on the floor. "This will be the location where we plot your firing."

"But this is the bathroom…" Lu pointed out in a small, disgusted voice as she looked at the small room, made even smaller by the crammed shower, toilet and sink.

"Yeah, it is…" Fu replied. "But it was the best I could come up with. Let's just hope that no one has to come in her to release some cargo. A-goo-goo-goo."

Lu Dog rolled her eyes as she looked down at the paper. "So, what is the plan you had?"

"It's not just one plan, puppy…" Fu Dog informed her. "It's actually a couple of ideas! I'll list them off to you. My first idea, we place a magic confetti rocket into the robes of every single council member. What do you think?"

"That's a little juvenile…"

"Okay, okay!" Fu Dog gave an exasperated sigh. "How about this: we use magic sneezing salts…"

"Okay, goodbye." Lu Dog shook her head and turned to leave. "We can't go pulling pranks. This is serious."

"Then do you have any ideas?" Fu demanded. "Because if you do, I'd like to hear them."

"Fine!" Lu walked back over to Fu. "Yeah, I have an idea! Here it is: I go to the councilors and ask them nicely to fire me."

It took a moment for Fu Dog to respond to Lu Dog's idea, and when he finally did, Lu was not very pleased. Fu Dog opened his mouth and fell onto his belly in hysterics. "Oh..oh my…oh my god!" he laughed. "Th…That i…is the stu…stupidest idea ever!"

"Oh yeah!" Lu retorted. "I'd like to hear an actual mature idea from you!"

LINE BREAK

Haley sped through the air, trying to calm her nerves after what had just happened. She couldn't believe that Spud had refused to help her. Actually, she kind of could. But still, she wasn't happy about it.

The sun had come down and it was pitch black outside and still Haley flew on with no destination. She was sure that her parents were worried about her, but she wasn't a child anymore. She was a dragon, was eighteen and could take care of herself for a few hours. She just needed to clear her head…

Haley continued to fly aimlessly until she felt her heart pounding and felt like she could no longer breathe. Panting, Haley landed in the street and reverted to her human form. As soon as she had caught her breath, she started to look around. She wasn't entirely sure where she was at the moment…

Suddenly, Haley jumped in surprise as there was a small explosion and a bunch of smoke appeared in thin air. As the smoke faded, a wizard with a purple cap and cape and a red robe appeared.

As Haley saw the wizard, she immediately transformed into her dragon form and put up her claws in self defense. "Who are you and what do you want?" she demanded.

"Relax, American Dragon…" the wizard spoke. "I'm not going to hurt you. In fact, I just want to help you."

"How do you know who I am?" Haley demanded.

"The same way that I knew you'd be here…" the wizard said. "My magic; I want to help you. You see, I know how you feel…and I want to take your pain away from you."

Haley's eyes widened and she felt her claws lowering. "How do you plan to do that?" she asked. "How do you know that there is anything bothering me?"

"My dear American Dragon, there is so much that I know…" the wizard poofed away and reappeared in a puff of smoke right in front of Haley and he placed the tip of the wand right in front of the slash mark across her eye. "This is causing you a lot of pain, isn't it? People are making fun of you, aren't they? I can help you…"

"You can help me?" Haley asked, looking up at him. "How?"

"You just leave that to me…" the wizard told her. "There is just one thing that I need in return for my services, though…" 

"What?" Haley asked.

"I'm glad you asked…" the wizard responded, and he reached into his robe and pulled out a sheet of folded paper. "Take it…" the wizard urged. Haley slowly reached out and grabbed the paper. Slowly unfolding it, Haley gasped.

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Haley stared in shock at the sketch on the paper. On the piece of paper, she could see what looked like the Ucrono Hourglass. "The Ucrono?" Haley asked. "That's what you want?"

"Is that what you call it?" the wizard asked. "Well yes, that's what I desire. Bring it to me and I shall remove your scar."

"But what do you want with it?" Haley asked.

"How about this…?" the wizard growled. "If you want that scar gone, then you bring me that hourglass, no questions asked…"

Haley stared back at the wizard with a shocked look on her face as she slowly took a few step back. "Oh…" the wizard said after a moment. "I think I understand. I'll tell you what. I'm willing to make a deal with you. I'll give you twenty-four hours to make your decision. You meet me back here tomorrow night at this very time."

The wizard the turned and was about to wave his wand, but Haley called to him. "No." she decided right there on the spot. "No. I'm not going to give it to you." As soon as Haley finished her declaration, she suddenly realized something: the break-ins. "That was what those two were after, wasn't it?" she demanded. "You hired Lu and that other person to steal it from us, didn't you?"

The wizard just stared at her for a moment before he finally spoke: "Well done, dragon." He said. "You finally figured it out. But it's too bad for you that I will get my hands on that hourglass anyway…"

Haley's eyes then widened in surprise as the wizard reached into his robe and pulled out a test tube-shaped item and smashed it against the ground. As soon as the item smashed, the figure of the wizard started to look as though it were being sucked toward the shattered item before she heard a rip and the wizard form disappeared; Haley gasped as she saw a large cloaked figure standing in its place.

"Who are you?"

LINE BREAK

Laughter rand out in the bathroom at Canal Street Electronics as both Fu Dog and Lu Dog sat on the floor laughing hysterically. "And then we can put superglue on all of their chairs!" Fu laughed as if he had inhaled nitrous oxide. "Oh, then they'll talk about a sticky situation!"

Lu Dog continued to laugh madly as she got another idea. "Or…" she tried to take a break from laughing as she tried to tell the shar-pei her idea. "Or…we could just kidnap them!"

Lu Dog then broke back into hysterical laughter as Fu Dog stopped immediately and stared at her. "That isn't funny…" the shar-pei pointed out, making Lu stop laughing. Lu just stared at the shar-pei with an apologetic look on her face, but Fu once again resumed his laughing, rolling over onto his back with his paws curving down. Lu just stared at him for a moment before she burst into laughter as well.

"This is slaying me!" Fu laughed and Lu Dog stopped laughing and smiled down at him as Fu stopped laughing and started to smile up at her.

LINE BREAK

"Who are you?" Haley asked again as she looked at the cloaked figure standing in front of her. The figure did not respond, and instead jumped up and knocked Haley onto her back. On her back, Haley looked up and gasped as she saw claws.

"You're a…dragon!"

"Yes…" the cloaked figure growled. "And now I'm going to give you another scar across your other eye for refusing my offer!" He growled as Haley felt the claw wrapping around her throat.

Haley could only look up at the covered face, and even though she could see nothing, she found it to be mesmerizing. Just as Haley found herself feeling light-headed from the lack of oxygen, Haley heard a small explosion and could smell smoke. To Haley's surprise, the cloaked dragon turned his head toward whatever was happening; Haley grinned as she took this time to slam her tail into her attacker.

The cloaked dragon grunted as he slammed against the ground, rolling one or two three times before he caught himself and picked himself up, standing back up and coming face to face with Haley and a man with a small beard, baggy pants, a jacket and a white under tank-top.

"Who are you?" the cloaked dragon growled. "And what are you doing her?"

"Well…" the new arrival spoke. "You can call me Spud the Spudnificent and…"

"I don't care what you call yourself!" the cloaked dragon roared. "All I care about is that you leave right now. This is none of your business, wizard. If you leave now, I just may spare your life."

"Oh, I'm afraid that I can't do that…" Spud replied, a large grin on his face. "You see, this dragon you are trying to slay is my best bud's little sis. You see, I was…"

Spud, however, was cut off from his explanation as the cloaked shot at Spud; Spud's eyes widened in surprise and he jumped backwards just in time for the cloaked dragon's speeding claws just miss him as Haley slammed into him.

Both dragons flew sideways, but as Haley flared her wings, the cloaked dragon slammed against the ground with a grunt, only to slowly get up. "Spud, now!" Haley called as tried to deliver several swipes to the cloaked dragon, but despite the blow the cloaked dragon had taken just previously, he was able to dodge every single one of them.

Behind the two fighting dragons, Spud quickly took out his wand before calling out a chant. In a flash of light, a length of chains appeared out of thin air and he magically sent them flying over to the cloaked dragon, just as he swatted Haley to the ground. The cloaked dragon quickly brought his glance away from Haley to Spud, only to see the chains coming toward him; the cloaked dragon quickly responded with a blast of fire, which consumed the chains.

Before Spud could even react, the cloaked dragon was soaring toward him and was now right beside him; there was a blurring flash as Spud yelped as he felt the dragon's tail before letting out a terrified shout as the cloaked dragon threw his tail up, sending Spud shooting into the air.

Spud screamed as he shot into the air, clenching down his fists, unaware that his wand was still in his hand; a giant glowing green fist appeared from the wand as it slipped from his hand and started to fall down to the laughing cloaked dragon. The cloaked dragon was staring up at the wizard, but his laughing stopped when he saw the glowing hand coming right for him. "Huh? AAAHHH!" the cloaked dragon screamed as the glowing hand came down on him, the wand smashing into the cement and making it cave in as dust and pieces of road shot up in a cloud.

Haley groaned as she slowly sat up. Haley immediately caught sight of the dust in the road, but the sound of Spud's shouting pulled her attention up into the sky. Spud had been shooting into the air, but he was starting to fall back to the ground now. "SPUD!" Haley shouted as she as she flapped her wings and took off into the air. As she got closer to spud, she flapped her wings harder and managed to catch the screaming wizard just before he slammed into the ground.

Haley could feel Spud shaking even as she set him back down on his feet. "Are you okay?" she asked him.

"Y…Yeah, I think I'm okay…" Spud answered as soon as he calmed down a little bit. The two then turned and walked over to where the cloaked dragon once stood. As soon as the dust cleared, Haley and Spud could see that the cloaked dragon was lying, limp in the middle of a small crater in the ground.

As he looked down at the defeated dragon, Spud shifted before he looked down to see that his wand was underneath his shoe. Removing his shoe from where it was planted, Spud bent down and picked his wand up before turning to face Haley.

"Did…Did I do that?" he asked.

"I guess you did…" Haley turned away from the crater. "Spud, don't worry about it. It was an accident. Come on, we should go…"

Spud looked back from his wand to the crater before turning back to Haley and nodding. "Okay…" he said before he climbed onto Haley's claws as she took off into the air, both unaware that back in the crater in the ground, the cloaked dragon groaned as his clawed fist clenched.

LINE BREAK

"Okay, you can let me down here." Spud told Haley as she soared over the same building that they had met up at earlier that day. Haley nodded and folded her wings in as she landed, letting go of Spud as she reverted to her human form.

"Spud, can I ask you something?" Haley turned to face the young wizard as he tucked his wand back into his pocket.

"Sure, Haley…"

"Why did you come looking for me?" Haley asked. "Did you change your mind about magically healing my scratch?"

"No, I didn't." Spud replied. "I actually came to find you because…" Spud pulled out his wand again, and in a flash of magic, Haley's backpack appeared in thin air and dropped to the ground. "…you left your backpack here."

"Oh…" Haley muttered in a disappointed tone as she reached down and grabbed it before turning around. "Well thanks…I guess…" Haley then transformed into her dragon form and was about to fly off, but Spud's voice called her back.

"Haley, wait!"

"What?" Haley turned around and faced him. "You aren't going to help me out, so then why should I stay here?"

"Haley, can you just listen to me?" Spud asked. "Listen, I know this is going to sound really whacked coming from me, but I think that…"

"That everything happens for a reason?" Haley asked.

"Well…" Spud stopped for a minute. "Well…I wasn't going to put it like that, but yeah. I guess that's how I could put it. Who told you that?"

"Sun."

"Man, I always thought that the one rule that was never to be broken was to always listen to your dragon master…" Spud mused. "You don't believe her?"

"It's not that I don't believe her…" Haley tried to explain. "It's just…I don't want to be teased by Sierra Tatlock and her mindless minions Olivia Mears and Dena Mahen…I just want to be normal…"

"Don't you think that that was what Jake wanted?" Spud asked. "Don't you think that was what Rose wanted? Heck, there were even times during my training that I wished I was just my old Spudical self again! The truth is…we don't always get what we most desire. Usually, we never do…"

Hearing these words, Haley frowned and looked down at the ground, deep in thought. "Well, I should get going…" Spud said. "Stace is probably wondering where I am. I'll see ya later, Haley…" As Spud started to walk away and pulled out his wand, Haley looked up from the ground and turned to face him.

"Spud?"

"Yeah?"

"How do you know all of these things?"

"Well…" Spud smiled. "Despite the way I look and act, I'm actually a genius…" Then, Spud waved his wand and he disappeared in a flash of green light followed by smoke.

LINE BREAK

Haley stepped through the doors of Millard Fillmore High School the next morning with her backpack over her shoulders and a much higher spirit. Haley walked over to her locker and opened it as she put her backpack inside after retrieving her book for her first class. As she closed the locker door and turned around, Haley was not surprised to see that Sierra, Olivia and Dena were all standing together.

"Good morning, Miss Dragon…" Sierra mocked. "Are you feeling better today? You looked like your spirits were a little scarred…" This got a laugh from both her minions.

"Sierra, that didn't even make sense…" Haley started to walk away.

"Hey, where are you going?" Sierra demanded. "I'm not done with you!"

"Actually, I think you are…" Haley turned around and smiled. "Because I've just decided that I'm not going to let your insults get me anymore. Well, I guess I'll see you in class…"

As Haley turned and walked away, both Olivia and Dena stared at Sierra as she paled. "Did she just ignore us?" Dena asked.

"I think she did…" Olivia muttered. "Haley's never done that before…"

Dena let out a small cry. "What if she ignores us all the time now? Then who are we going to pick on?"

LINE BREAK

Haley entered through the door of Mrs. O'Yrael's classroom to find that there was no one else in the room except for the teacher herself. "What are you doing here?" O'Yrael demanded coldly as Haley walked over to her desk and sat down with a smile.

"I'm here on time today." Haley said. "So I guess that means that you'll just have one less thing to make me miserable for…"

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: What did you think? Please review. **


	6. Chapter 6

American Dragon: Haley Long (Season One)

Chapter/Episode 6: Bark from Your Past

The bell over the door to Canal Street Electronics rang out as the door opened as Haley stepped into the shop, followed by Leah Belden. The two both slid the straps of their backpacks off and they fell to the ground with two thuds. It was unnaturally hot for an October afternoon, and both girls were sweating. "It's so hot!" Leah exclaimed.

"I know…" Haley said as she bent down and unzipped her backpack before pulling out some paper. "But we have work to do…"

"Haley, did you say something?" Both Haley and Leah turned their heads as Sun Park entered the room. "Oh, hello." Sun said as she saw Leah. "Haley, is this a friend of yours?"

"Well, not really…" Haley replied. "We've been assigned a paper for a class. We've been assigned partners on this. Oh, Sun, this Leah. Leah, this is Sun."

"Hello Leah…" Sun smiled as she held out her hand.

"Is…is she a dragon, too?" Leah asked, a little nervous.

"Yeah, she's my dragon master." Haley answered honestly. "Don't worry, she won't hurt you."

Leah just stared at Sun for a second before she finally slowly brought her hand out and shook the Korean Dragon's hand. Sun smiled warmly as their hands parted. "It was nice meeting you, Leah…" Sun said before turning around just as Fu Dog, who had a rolled up piece of paper in his mouth, entered the room, closely followed by Lu Dog.

Seeing the dogs, Leah's face lit up. "You didn't tell me that you have dogs…" Leah said as she bent down and ran her hand down Fu's head.

"You like dogs?" Haley asked.

"Well, yeah." Leah answered. "I find it very hard to not like dogs."

"What about magical talking dogs?" Lu suddenly asked, and Leah gasped in surprise, jumping to her feet. "Well, aren't you going to give me a little attention?" the golden asked. "If you give him some attention, then you should give me some…"

"Oh can it, puppy…" Fu smiled at her as he dropped the paper on the ground.

"Leah, we should get working…" Haley walked up to Leah, who had a shocked look on her face. "Come on…" Haley then took Leah by the hand and led her to the back room. As soon as they were gone, Fu turned to Lu and smiled smugly at her.

BLACKOUT; PLAY THEME SONG

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Leah and Haley sat at a table in the backroom, both were writing on a piece of paper. "So…" Haley spoke. "I think what we should do is to split up the work in order to make the process of working on it go by faster. What do you think?"

"I think you have more to worry about than just a school project…" a bored, depressing voice answered before Leah could even open her mouth. Haley turned her head and could see the Oracle Twins standing at the door with Fu Dog and Lu Dog standing on one side and Sun Park standing behind them.

Haley stared at the two twins: neither twins had changed much in nine years. Her hair was still jet black and she still wore the same clothes, they were only larger. Sara still had curly blonde hair and the same clothes. To Haley, the only difference was that they were both taller. "What are you saying?" Haley asked.

"I just had a vision!" Sara exclaimed with a joyous smile on her face. "There's a member of the Huntsclan heading toward the harbor! Ooh! I wonder what he's planning."

"The Hunter!" Haley shot up and rushed over to the twins. "What else do you see?"

"We don't know!" Sara exclaimed happily. "I bet it will be so much fun to find out, though!"

Haley sighed before she turned and started for the exit. "We should go get him. Come on, Lu!"

Fu Dog watched as Haley and Sun both rushed out of the room, Lu Dog staying behind with an uncertain look on his face. "You need to go, puppy." Fu told her. "You have a duty to help your dragon."

"But…"

"You have to go…" Fu said.

"Can't you go instead?" Lu Dog asked. "I've never done anything like this before. Could…could you come with me?"

"You don't understand!" Fu told her. "I can't go! If the council catches me helping the kid, I'm going to the magical pound!"

Lu Dog stared back at Fu, but before the golden could say anything, Haley flew back into the room with a rather angry look on her face. "We don't have time for this, Lu!" she berated. "Let's go!"

Before the golden could do anything, Haley wrapped her claws around Lu Dog's collar and pulled her out the doorway.

LINE BREAK

Lu Dog fidgeted nervously as she sat atop Haley's scaly back as the American Dragon flew down the streets along her dragon master. "So…" Lu's voice shook. "Just how dangerous is this guy?"

"Don't worry." Sun turned her head toward the frightened dog. "We're not going to let him hurt you."

Finally, the two dragons and the dog landed at the harbor, but to their surprise, there was no sign of anyone. "Do…Do you think their vision was wrong?" Lu Dog asked as she hopped off of Haley's back.

"No…" Sun answered. "He's here. Their visions are always correct."

"Then where is he?" Haley asked.

"Hello dragons…" a voice came from behind them. The next thing Sun, Haley are Lu Dog even knew, there was a flash of dark red as The Hunter flipped over them and landed in front of them with his staff ready. "It's so nice to see you again. So, are you ready to finally be slain?"

"Not today, punk!" Haley retorted. "We came here to stop you from doing whatever your about to do!"

"I'm not planning anything, dragon…" The Hunter replied, and Haley knew that The Hunter was grinning from behind his mask. "All I am doing is thinking…about how bad it must feel to not be able to see your own brother anymore…"

"What?" Haley asked, shocked.

"You heard me, dragon." The Hunter continued. "I was just thinking about those mean old councilors keeping you apar…" The Hunter abruptly stopped as Haley released and enraged roar as she flew over to The Hunter and swiped at him with her claws.

"How do you know about that?" Haley roared as she swiped at him, The Hunter stepping back with each swipe she took and blocking the blows with his staff. "HOW DO YOU KNOW?"

"It doesn't matter how I know…" The Hunter stepped back and swung his staff at Haley, but Haley spread her wings and flew back a couple inches, dodging the attack. "I'd like to make you a deal, dragon…"

"I don't make deals with villains!" Haley growled as she tried to attack her enemy, but The Hunter jumped up and leapt over her. The next thing Haley knew, she was shouting in pain as she felt a searing pain hit her back. Haley fell to the ground onto her belly.

"Haley!" The American Dragon could hear her dragon master calling for her. Haley turned her head so that she was looking upward and could see a flash of sky blue. The Hunter reacted quickly, and he jumped up, landing on Sun's back and slamming her down onto Haley, making both dragons grunt as The Hunter jumped back to the ground and pointed his staff at the two as it started to glow.

"Lu, do something!" Haley shouted out to the nervous golden retriever after she found that she could not get free from under Sun's weight.

Lu Dog looked worriedly at the two dragons trapped by the Huntsclan member. Releasing one last nervous moan, Lu Dog took off running at The Hunter and jumping into the air, her teeth ready to bite into flesh. The Hunter saw the dog coming toward him, and as a result, reached into his belt and pulled out a small steel ball which he threw at the dog.

In midair, the ball broke apart into three pieces as three microscopic beads continued toward the golden. Because of the size of the beads were so small, Lu could not see them and continued to run towards The Hunter until the beads hit her, causing a surge of electricity to course through Lu Dog's body just as Haley and Sun started to stand up. Lu Dog let out a yelp of pain as she fell to the ground/

"Lu Dog!" Haley shouted as she lifted off her feet and soared into the air as The Hunter started firing blasts of lethal green plasma. As three different blasts came toward her, Haley performed various maneuvers until she was heading on a collision course for the Huntsclan member.

The Hunter's eyes widened in surprise, but before he could move, Haley rammed into him and they both flew off of the ledge and fell into the water with a splash.

LINE BREAK

Haley could feel the cold water attacking her body as she dived deeper into the harbor waters. She was pinning down The Hunter, who, as he was forced deeper into the bay, lost his grip on his staff, and despite his best attempt to get it back, his staff sank slowly into the water.

Without his weapon, The Hunter looked up at Haley with fear in his eyes as Haley let go of him before swimming up and coming back down on him, her tail slamming into him. Haley then watched as The Hunter shot down into the dark depths of the bay like a speeding bullet.

As soon as The Hunter had disappeared, Haley started to feel lightheaded from the lack of air, and she unconsciously opened her mouth to gasp for air, only to release bubbles into the water. Haley quickly turned and swam up to the surface where she flapped her wings, making her shoot up into the air after emerging from the water before slamming down onto the dock. Haley rolled over onto her back and coughed, getting the water out of her lungs. With one last cough, Haley got up and rushed over to where Sun was kneeling next to the golden retriever.

"She's unconscious." Sun informed Haley as Haley looked down at the unconscious and sweating dog. "This heat is only making it worse." Sun added. "We need to get her back to the shop before her injuries become life threatening."

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

"Oh man…" Haley stared at the golden retriever lying on the couch with horror as Sun sat on the couch next to her putting icepacks on the dog in an attempt to bring the dog's temperature down as Fu Dog used his teeth to pull out a thermometer out of her mouth. "Whoa!" Fu exclaimed as he dropped the thermometer on the table and looked at it. "She's really burning up."

"This should bring the temperature down…" Sun said as she stood up. "I don't understand what happened. It just doesn't make any sense."

"We need to get her some medicine." Fu said. "It's the only way that she'll pull through."

"Yes." Sun agreed. "Unfortunately, I can only administrate it to her when she is awake. I will call the Council."

Fu and Haley both watched as Sun walked out of the room before they both turned their attentions back to Lu Dog. "Man…" Haley muttered. "I hope she'll be okay…"

LINE BREAK

Haley sighed as she took her lunch tray over to the only deserted table the next day during lunch. Sitting down, Haley pushed the tray away and put her head into her hands. "Haley…" she suddenly heard a familiar voice calling her name.

Almost reluctantly, Haley lifted her head and looked up to see Leah standing beside the table. "Haley, did you get anymore of that project done?"

"No…"

"Haley, we need to get it done!"

"Leah, I can't focus right now!" Haley nearly shouted at the other girl. Hearing Haley get frustrated, Leah's eyes widened in fear and she paled. Seeing the girl frightened of her yet again, Haley sighed. "I'm sorry, Leah." She apologized. "I thought you knew that I would never hurt you. I'm just stressed out right now. Lu's really sick."

"Is that one of the dogs?"

"Yes." Haley replied. "The golden retriever; she got hurt on a mission yesterday and she's really sick. She might die."

"That's a shame…" Leah looked down. "Dogs have it pretty bad these days…"

"Just like magical creatures…" Haley muttered, and before Leah could respond, Haley could hear a ringing from her backpack. Reaching for her backpack, Haley unzipped it and pulled out her communication device as Sun's holographic face appeared. "What is it, Sun?" Haley asked as Leah turned and started to walk away.

"Haley, I gave Lu Dog the medicine…" Sun said. "She was conscious just long enough for me to give it to her."

"This is good, right?"

"No, Haley." Sun frowned. "The medicine isn't working and it's a powerful pill. It has never not worked on an ill being. There must be some kind of problem. You need to come back here as soon as you can!"

LINE BREAK

Haley and Sun stood in the doorway looking at the couch that Lu Dog was lying on. Fu Dog also stood on the couch as a metal device hovered over Lu, giving her a scan. As soon as the scan was complete, the device hovered over to Sun and spoke in a robotic voice: "Her mind is refusing the medicine. Survival chance percentage: 9 percent."

Sun sighed as the machine turned itself off as it flew over to the shelf. "This is not good. There must be something in her mind that is bugging her and not letting the medicine do its job."

"What could it be?" Haley asked. "We need to do something to help her! I need an animal guardian!"

"Well kid…" Fu hopped off of the couch and made his way over to the two dragons. "There is only one way to find out. Do you still have those dream charms?"

Haley's eyes widened as she heard the shar-pei mention the charms. She had completely forgotten that her brother had given them to her…

LINE BREAK

_Nine year old Haley Long was on her bed on her side with tears running down her cheeks as she whimpered and curled up into a fetal position. It had only been a week since the devastating final battle where Jake had attacked the council. Now Jake had to leave and Haley felt so alone. _

_Haley suddenly stopped her crying when she heard a small tapping at her window, but she lost focus on the tapping and continued her depressed mood. It was probably just her imagination. But the more she tried to ignore the tapping sound, the louder it seemed to get._

_Opening her eyes, Haley got up and walked over to the window, opening it with a small grunt before she climbed up on the sill…only to gasp…_

_Hovering over the streets was Jake in his dragon form. "Hey there, Hales." Jake smiled at her. "You surprised to see me?"_

"_Jake, what are you doing here?" Haley felt her tears fading. "If the council catches you…"_

"_I'm just stopping by…" Jake cut off. "There is one last thing the Am Drag needs to do. He needs to give his little sis something to remember him by. Give me your hands."_

_With wide eyes, Hale got off of the sill and onto the fire escape and held out her hands as Jake placed something in them. Looking down, Jake could see that there were two dream charms._

"_In case the new American Dragon ever needs them…" Jake smiled again. "Rose decided that she wanted to give hers to you as well. Oh, and by the way, I'm sorry we couldn't make it to your ceremony. Well, I guess this is goodbye." _

"_Goodbye, Jake…" Haley whimpered as she watched her brother fly away. "And thanks…"_

LINE BREAK

Back in the present, Haley now stood in her room, having basically torn her room apart looking for the charms. "Where are they?" Haley groaned, getting frustrated. "You need to think, Haley. Just think!"

Haley took a calming breath as she started to walk around her room, trying to remember where she put the dream charms. Finally, Haley's eyes widened and she turned, rushing over to desk and opening a drawer. Reaching into the drawer, Haley grabbed hold of an envelope and pulled it out.

LINE BREAK

"Here they are…" Haley stood in the back room along with Sun and Fu Dog as she held out the envelope, and using her claws, made a tear in it that made the charms drop into her hand.

"Very good." Sun said. "Now, put them on and let yourself fall asleep. I'll stay here and watch over Lu. You both should go now…"

Haley nodded as she slipped the charm over her wrist before she bent down and helped get the charm over Fu's paw. Then, the two walked over to the table where Haley sat down and put her head down and where Fu jumped onto the couch. Within seconds, they were both asleep…

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

In a bright flash of light, both Haley and Fu found themselves in the Dream Realm. "So this is what the Dream Realm looks like, huh?" Haley said as she started to look around.

"Would you stay focused, kid?" Fu barked. "We have something we need to do. Look for her door."

The two walked down the numerous halls of the Dream Realm, and after a while, the two started to split up. Haley continued to walk down the halls, but she suddenly heard Fu Dog calling her. "Hey, kid!" he shouted. "Come here! I found the door!"

Haley turned and ran as fast as she could to where Fu was standing. "Hey, kid…" Fu said as she reached him. "Do you mind getting the door? You know…paws and all?"

"Right…" Haley replied as she reached up and opened the door before the two stepped inside. As soon as they stepped inside, Haley gasped at what they saw; it was pitch black inside; almost nothingness except for a few sheds of light and what looked like silver swirls. Haley looked down to see that she was standing in the nothingness.

"Fu, what is going on?" Haley asked.

"Don't worry, kid." Fu Dog continued to walk into the nothingness. "Everything's fine. You don't see anything because of the medicine. Her illness is fighting the medicine. Come on, we should go farther to see if we can find something."

LINE BREAK

Back at the shop, Sun stood over Lu Dog as the golden retriever slept. "I hope you find something, Haley…" Sun hoped quietly.

LINE BREAK

Back in Lu Dog's dream door, Haley stopped in her tracks and looked down in surprise as she found that a road had formed and that she was now standing. "Fu, this is so weird." Haley told the dog. "I don't like it here."

"Relax, kid…" Fu turned his head to face her. "We're in her subconscious now. Maybe we'll find something here."

Haley nodded in understanding, but then her eyes widened and she pointed passed Fu. "Fu Dog, look!" Haley called. Fu turned his head to see Lu Dog walking down the streets with the handle of a bucket in her mouth. "We need to follow her!" Haley said.

LINE BREAK

Both Haley and Fu followed the golden retriever to a small river, where the golden dipped the bucket in her mouth into the water before pulling it out, filled. The golden retriever then turned and slowly started to walk away.

"Aw, how long are we going to have to follow this puppy around?" Fu growled in annoyance.

"That isn't important, Fu!" Haley shot back. "We need to help her. She can't die from this!"

LINE BREAK

Haley and Fu followed Lu Dog into a dark alley where the golden retriever walked over to the corner and set down the bucket that was water filled. Upon taking a better look at the scene in front of her, Haley gasped in surprise. In front of Lu, there was another, much older, golden retriever lying on its stomach.

"What's wrong, kid?" Fu asked her.

"There's another dog there…" Haley muttered and pointed.

"_Mother, I brought you some water…" Lu Dog spoke as she nudged the bucket of water closer to the older dog. "Drink it; it'll help…"_

_The older dog looked at the water and then smiled at your daughter. "Thank you, Lu…" she said. "But I'll wait until your brothers return back here with some food. We should eat together."_

"_You should have some water now…" Lu tried to urge._

Haley watched this with wide eyes and she looked down at Fu. "I'm totally confused…" the shart-pei admitted. "Do you have any idea what's happening?"

"That's her mom, Fu." Haley whispered. "She's sick."

Fu was about to say something, but before he could, two more golden retrievers stepped into the alley. One looked just like LU, only a little bit bigger, while the other was a different color and also had a hairless tail.

"_Stu! Ru!" Lu Dog turned to face both dogs. "It took you long enough! Where have you…? Wait, is that meat, Stu?"_

_Stu Dog, the one that looked just like Lu had a large piece of meat in his mouth. Stu walked over to his mother and placed it onto the ground before turning back to Lu. "As a matter of fact, it is." Stu said proudly. "Ru and I were fortunate enough to it. Weren't we, Ru?"_

_Ru Dog, the one with the skinned tail, looked down at the ground as if he was shamed. "Yeah…" was all he said._

"_You stole it, didn't you?" Lu demanded. "Come on, guys! We can't do this kind of stuff!"_

"_I know that!" Stu growled, getting closer to his sister. "We didn't steal that meat. We earned it."_

"_How did you do that?" Lu asked._

"_Does it really matter?" Stu asked as he walked over to his mother. "You go and eat that. You need food. Ru and I will go get some more food. Come on, Ru…"_

Both Haley and Fu watched as Lu's two brothers turned and walked out of the alley. Haley didn't really know why, but she had a bad feeling about this…

_Lu…" Lu Dog turned as she heard her mother calling her name. Lu Dog slowly made her way over to her mother as she spoke again: "Lu, go after those two. I don't like the way Stu has been acting. Can you do that for me, sweetie?"_

"_Of course, mother…" Lu Dog answered. "I'll be back soon, okay? While I'm gone, have some water and food, okay?"_

Haley and Fu then watched as Lu Dog turned and started running out of the alley after her brothers. "Come on, Fu!" Haley shouted as she transformed into her pink dragon form before she lifted into the air, grabbed Fu and flew off.

Haley flew down the dark alley until she found Lu Dog standing behind a building, peaking her head out. Haley landed next to the golden and set Fu down, both looking over the side of the building.

_Stu and Ru stood side-by side, two dogs standing in front of them. _Haley gasped in surprise when she realized that the two dogs were the pit-bull and the Border collie from the alley.

"_Glad to see you come back…" the pit-bull smiled._

"_We told you that we would come back, didn't we?" Stu responded. "I personally believe in keeping my word. I don't know about my brother, though…"_

"_Well, we'll go get the boss then…" the pit-bull said as he and the Border collie turned and disappeared into a building. As soon as they were gone, Stu turned to his brother. "Do you have to remain quiet all the time?" he demanded. "Do I really have to do all the talking?"_

"_I don't want to say anything to these dogs!" Ru spat. "This is wrong, what we're doing!"_

"_How is it wrong?" Stu demanded._

"_These are bad dogs!" Ru responded. "What they do is wrong!"_

"_And what about what I do is wrong?" a new voice demanded. Both golden retrievers turned their heads as the Border collie and pit-bull exited, both on each side of a large shepherd dog._

"_Little Rover…" Stu addressed the dog. "We have thought about your offer…"_

"_Please, Stu…" Ru begged from behind him. "We really don't have to do this! We can find another way to help Mother!"_

"_Another way?" Little Rover demanded. "I am not offering you a way to save your mother's life. I'd be lying to you if I said that I could do that. What I AM offering you is a way to feed her and take care of her until her time comes. So, can you tell me what is so wrong about what I and my associates do?"_

"_You…steal…" Ru tried._

"_We don't steal…" Little Rover stopped him. "We take old and unused bones and sell them to dogs for a price. If you work for me, then that payment that you earn will go to taking care of your mother…"_

"_I still think its wrong…"_

"_That may be what you think…" Little Rover walked over to Stu. "But your brother doesn't think so. Stu Dog wants to save his mother's life. Do you?"_

Haley was watching the conversation between Lu's brothers and Little Rover; she was so occupied with that conversation that she didn't notice the pit-bull and border collie coming until they had grabbed Lu by the throat with their teeth and started pulling her over to Little Rover.

"_Hey boss!" the Border collie called. "Guess what we just found!"_

"_Lu?" Stu asked, while Ru started to back up in fear._

"_Brothers, what are you doing?" Lu Dog demanded as the pit-bull released her from his grip. "How could you get mixed up with dogs like these? They're bone dealers! They steal bones from other dogs and then sell them to others in exchange for meat! Why are you doing this?"_

"_Lu…" Ru kept on backing up. "Lu, this really isn't what it looks like! I was completely against this the entire time!" Ru Dog then turned and fled out of the alley as quick as he could._

"_Lu, what are you doing here?" Stu asked. _

"_Spying…" Little Rover answered for Lu's brother in a growl as he slowly walked over to Lu. "Tell me, were you spying on me?"_

"_More like my brothers…" Lu responded._

"_Aw yes…" Little Rover smiled. "Your brothers...!" He then turned to the pit-bull. "Biter!" He then turned to the Border collie. "Growler! Kill her!"_

_Lu Dog's eyes widened in fear as Little Rover backed up; Biter and Growler growling viciously as they started to approach the golden. "No!" Stu called. "You don't have to do this! Just send her back home! Please!"_

_Little Rover turned his from Stu Dog back to his minions. "Kill her…" he repeated. At that moment, both Biter and Growler leapt at Lu, their teeth ready to tear into her. Yelping in fear, Lu Dog turned and ran down the alley as fast as she could, with Biter and Growler right behind her._

"Come on, Fu!" Haley suddenly shouted, grabbing Fu Dog, lifting into the air and speeding down the alley. It wasn't long until they found Lu.

_Lu Dog kept on speeding down the alley, but Growler jumped up and landed right in front of the golden. Panicking, Lu turned, only to find that she was completely trapped by the two dogs. Biter took this opportunity to ram into Lu's side, making her fall over sideways. Biter was courteous to stop her fall…with his teeth in her back._

_Lu Dog yelped in pain as the teeth bit into her flesh and she yelped once again as Growler rammed right into her belly. Grunting, Lu Dog slammed onto the ground on her side as Growler walked over to her, and with a flick of his tail, slammed Lu Dog against the nearest wall's building._

"Fu Dog!" Haley called to her ex-animal guardian as she watched the golden hitting the ground and struggling to get up. "We have to do something! We have to help her!"

"We can't kid!" Fu responded. "This is a memory. There is nothing that can be done."

_Lu Dog grunted as she shook as she stood up on all fours and slowly tried to walk away. Growler and Biter used her injuries to her advantage; the two dogs repeatedly rammed into her, bumping her back, until Biter rammed into her side, sending Lu Dog into another building wall right above a cardboard box. Lu Dog grunted as she came down onto the ground._

"_Yeah!" Growler shouted. "Come on, Biter! Let's finish her!" Growler then opened his mouth, revealing his sharp teeth, but before he could attack, Biter cut him off._

"_No!" Biter commanded._

"_What?" Growler turned his attention to Biter. "But why not? Little Rover gave us orders!"_

"_And we've carried out his orders…" Biter told him. "She will die…eventually. Now let's go."_

Haley and Fu watched as Biter and Growler turned and walked away before they both rushed over to where Lu Dog was lying, unconscious. "Oh, Fu…" Haley moaned as she looked at the golden. "There's nothing we can do?"

"This is just a memory, kid…" Fu Dog answered. "You can't change it. But I think it's safe to assume that this is what's bugging her. Now what we need to do is find a way to save the puppy right here and now."

"What?" Haley stared at the shar-pei. "But I thought you didn't even like her. And I would think that you would use this to your advantage, you schemer…"

"Well, if this were the Fu Dog of the 1970's, I probably would use it to my advantage…" Fu replied. "But I'm not like that anymore. The Council wouldn't reinstate me if she died. Besides, the puppy isn't that bad. So, do you have an idea?"

Haley looked down for a moment, deep in thought. Finally, she smiled and looked at Fu. "Yes, I have an idea. We need to take off our charms and go back."

"How is that going to help?"

"I don't know if it will, but you need to trust me." Haley answered as she bent down and lifted Fu's charm from his paw. In a bright flash of light, Fu Dog disappeared from the world of dreams. Seconds later, Haley removed her dream charm, also disappearing in a flash.

&*%

Back in the shop, both Fu Dog and Haley lifted their heads from the table. Yawning, Haley stood up as she caught the gaze of her dragon master, who walked over to her. "Did you find anything?" Sun asked.

"Sun…" Fu answered for Haley. "We sure did. Whoo-eee! Not a pleasant thing to see!"

"Well, do you have any ideas?" Sun asked.

"I do…" Haley nodded before she made her way over to the unconscious and tense looking dog. Kneeling down next to the dog, Haley reverted to her human form and then put her hand up to Lu's fur, stroking it.

"Lu…" Haley said softly. "Lu Dog, it's okay. You don't have to worry about that memory anymore. You made it out, and now we're here. You're safe, Lu."

As Haley spoke and petted the golden, Lu's tense form slowly started to relax, and Haley smiled. "That's right…" Haley continued. "You're safe. No one is going to hurt you…"

Finally, Lu Dog was completely relaxed, and her eyes slowly started to open. "Wh…" Lu spoke, looking up. "Where am I?"

"You're safe…" Haley repeated as Lu turned her head and stared at her. Fu Dog, at that moment, jumped onto the couch.

"It's good to have you back, puppy!" he welcomed her.

Lu turned her attention from Haley to Fu. "It's good to be back…" Lu said softly.

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: Just a little background on Haley's new animal guardian. I hoped you liked it and please review!**


	7. Chapter 7

American Dragon: Haley Long (Season One)

**A/N: So, just as a little warning, this is probably the darkest chapter/episode of this story/season. Just a warning…**

Chapter/Episode Seven: You're the Target

In the gym of Millard Fillmore High School, the cheerleading squad all stood, practicing for the next football game. The squad captain, Casi Robbins, stood in front of all the others. "Okay…" the captain said in a tone that made her loud enough for the others to hear her. "It's been a good practice today…"

"Obviously…" Dena Mahen said as she crossed her arms and smiled. "I'd say that we are the best squad in the state…"

The captain of her squad rolled her eyes. "No…" she replied. "We aren't, but we've been working hard, and I think that's what counts. So, before we go, I want us all to try a pyramid. So, let's g…"

Before the captain could finish her plan, the doors were pushed open and Haley stepped in, a pass from the office around her neck and a piece of paper in her hand. Walking over to the squad captain, she handed the paper to her. "Casi, this is for you."

Casi took the note and looked at it before she groaned. Lowering the note, she turned to face the other cheerleaders. "Change of plans…" she announced. "I need to go take care of some business. We'll do the pyramid next practice…"

LINE BREAK

Casi sighed as she passed through the doors of the gym and saw an older man leaning against the wall. "I checked you out…" the man said.

"Fine…" Casi muttered. "Let me get my backpack…"

LINE BREAK

Not long after leaving the gym, Casi and the man exited the school before they turned into an alley. "Are we safe here?" Casi asked.

"I would believe so…" the man answered. "Although I don't know why you are so afraid of…"

"Because I don't want to!" Casi barked. "Now, let's just do this…DRAGON UP!"

In two flashes of light, the human forms disappeared and in their places stood two dragons: Casi a medium sized magenta-colored dragon, and the man a large burgundy-colored dragon. Together, the two dragons took off into the air.

BLACKOUT; PLAY THEME SONG

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

In a dark alley, a bunch of trolls were lined up in front of a line of humans. The trolls had clubs and other weapons on hand, while the humans had chains and knives. The two armies were about to attack each other, when there was a swooping sound; the leader of the humans and the leader of the trolls turned to face two dragons, one magenta and the other burgundy.

"Now why can't we all just get along?" the magenta dragon asked. "This is so sad…"

"What are you talking about?" the leader if the humans demanded. "They started it!"

"Does it really matter who started it?" the magenta dragon roared. "I don't think it does! What does matter is that we both exist and that we need to work together in order to get along! Is there anything wrong with just getting along? Tell me if there is anything wrong!"

Suddenly, one of the trolls growled and took their club, throwing it as the magenta dragon; the magenta dragon was not able to dodge the attack. The club hit the dragon in her scaly stomach, sending her flying out of the alley.

The magenta dragon grunted as she slammed against the street outside the alley. Groaning, the magenta dragon slowly got up and stared into the alley and saw a huge fight. She couldn't tell who was fighting who, but it looked like the trolls and the humans were fighting her dragon master. The magenta dragon was just about to fly back to her master, when she caught sight of a form dropping into the alley. A second later, everyone in the alley ran out, screaming in fear.

"What the…?" the magenta dragon asked to herself, but then the reason for the others running away became clear when she saw something being thrown out of the alley; the magenta dragon's eyes widened in horror as the object hit the ground right in front of her; it was her dragon master. The magenta dragon then looked up to see someone stepping out of the alley. The figure wore a red and white target board costume with metal arms, ands, legs and feet. The head of a Tomte was the only real body part that the magenta dragon could see. The Tomte chuckled evilly with a female voice before she jumped up and leapt over the magenta.

There was a slashing sound…and then the magenta dragon screamed.

LINE BREAK

The next day, Haley passed through the door of Canal Street Electronics after a long day of school. Sighing, Haley dropped her backpack on the ground before she started to search the shop for any signs of life. "Sun?" Haley called. "Sun, I'm here for training!"

Finally, Haley made her way to the back room of the shop, but there was no sign of Sun. The only other living being in the shop was Fu Dog, who was sitting on the couch. "Fu Dog…" Haley called as she walked in. "Fu Dog, where is Sun?"

"Oh, hey kid…" Fu greeted her. "Yeah, the Council wants you on the Island of Draco. Sun and the puppy are already there."

"What?" Haley asked, shocked. "But why?"

"Well, kid…" Fu said solemnly, turning his face to Haley. "Two dragons were slain yesterday."

LINE BREAK

The magic elevator popped up out of the ground, and as soon as the doors slid open, Haley sped out in her dragon form, flapping her wings as she sped across the Island of Draco. Finally, she landed in front of the doors of the main hall. After reverting to her human form, Haley pushed open the doors, walking in to see Sun and Lu Dog standing next to a table talking with Councilor Fachtna. "Aw, Dragon Long…" Fachtna greeted here. "It's a good thing you made it…" As the leader of the council spoke, Sun and Lu Dog both turned to face Haley.

"Haley, can you look at these two?" Sun asked, and it was then that Haley noticed the two bodies on the table.

"I'd rather not…" Haley tried.

"Dragon Long, we need to know if you recognize these two…" Fachtna told her.

Haley just stared at her dragon master and her animal guardian before she gave in. "Fine…" Haley growled as she walked over to the table and looked down on the slain dragons. "No, I've never seen them before in my life." Haley reported, looking at the dragons; one of which was magenta and the other was burgundy. The burgundy dragon had a slash mark across his chest.

"Really?" Fachtna asked as he approached Haley. "Because…this dragon…" he pointed to the magenta dragon. "…goes to the same school as you. Perhaps this will refresh your memory." Facthna then reached into his robes and pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Haley.

On the piece of paper, there was a colored picture of the magenta dragon, and right beside it was a picture of a girl, who looked very familiar. The girl's perky smile, her brown hair…

"Casi?" Haley asked in shock. "Casi was a dragon?"

"Her real name was Shannon Robbins." Fachtna pointed to her name. "Casi Robbins was simply the alias that she used. Unfortunately, we have not determined what caused death, but I find it odd that there is a wound, but no blood."

"Does this have anything to do with the American Dragon's job?" Lu Dog blurted out what had to be on both Haley and Sun's minds.

"This has more to do with the American Dragon than you will ever know, dog…" Fachtna retorted. "This was also found at the scene." Fachtna once again reached into his pocket and pulled out a small note. Handing it to Haley, he continued speaking: "It appears that there is some kind of creature out there who believes that Dragon Robbins was a traitor to the Magical World…"

Haley looked down at the note and read it out loud: "_**These two dragons are traitors to the magical kind. Humans should be destroyed, not bargained with. All traitors of the magical kind must be slain**_."

Haley finished reading and then looked back up at Fachtna; Haley was about to say something, but before she could, the doors opened and Fred Nerk stepped in. "What is it, Councilor Nerk?" Fachtna asked.

"Sir, we just found three more…" Nerk reported.

Fachtna looked down at the ground before looking back up to face Nerk. "I'll deal with it in just one second." Fachtna told Nerk before he turned to face Sun and Lu. "This isn't good. It looks like you and your pupil are in grave danger."

"I understand, Councilor…" Sun responded. "What do you think should be done?"

"You and Dragon Long must track this assassin down and stop her." Fachtna replied. "Before it is too late…"

BLACKOUT; CUT TO COMMERCIAL

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Haley passed through the doors of Millard Fillmore High School after the bell rang and walked down the stairs before starting to walk down the sidewalk. Just as Haley passed by an alley, she heard an agonized scream of pain. Immediately reacting, Haley called out her signature cry of "DRAGON UP!" before flying into the alley.

Once inside the alley, Haley gasped at what she saw. In front of her, a leprechaun was lying on its stomach, obviously deceased, as a rather small figure removed a sharp looking object from the back. The figure then looked Haley's way, and the American Dragon could hear an evil chuckle as the figure stepped over the body and into the light, so Haley could see the killer's appearance. The figure had metal arms and legs, and the body (costume) of a target board and the head of some small creature.

"Aw, American Dragon…" the figure spoke in a female voice. "So, I've finally met you…"

"You…" Haley growled. "You're the one who has claimed the lives of five dragons…"

"And now one leprechaun and another dragon…" the figure smiled. "I know all about the American Dragon's efforts to unify magical creatures and humans. Apparently, you even saved a human a couple of weeks ago. Now why would you go and do that? Now I have to slay you…"

"It's my job…" Haley growled.

"Yes, and it is my job to eliminate traitors…" the figure shot back. "I suppose that you would like to know the name of your destroyer: you may call me The Target."

"I don't care about your name…" Haley growled as she lowered herself to the ground and held up her claws, preparing for a battle. "All I care about is whether or not I take you down…"

The Target did not say anything; instead, she reached back behind herself and pulled out a new spike. Then, she charged, leaping into the air, ready to slash into Haley's chest. As she watched the assassin coming for her, Haley's eyes widened and all of her confidence disappeared. This did not look good…

However, before The Target could reach Haley, The Target let out a howl of pain as a blast of fire hit her, sending her slamming against the side of the building. Haley turned her head and groaned as she saw the form of a dragon on the roof spreading their wings and flying down. As the dragon landed, Haley groaned again, as her theory on who her rescuer was turned out to be correct: all black clothing and a black ski mask. She had been rescued by the Vigilante Dragon. "You again?" Haley demanded.

"Now is that anyway to thank the dragon who rescued you?" the Vigilante Dragon asked, but Haley did not listen. Instead, she turned her head to see The Target on the ground on her stomach. There were various medal spikes lodged into her back; Haley's eyes widened as The Target groaned and slowly started to get up. "Well, I think it's time for us to get out of here…"

"I agree…" Haley nodded. Flapping their wings, both dragons took off into the air, just as The Target ran at them, trying to slash their tails with a spike, but she missed and the two flew off.

LINE BREAK

"Well, at least you are okay…" Sun Park said as Haley sat on the couch in human form, Lu Dog sitting at her side, while the Vigilante Dragon stood in the corner. "So, you saw the assassin? Do you mind telling me what they looked like? I need to report the information to the council."

"Well…" Haley began. "She wore what looked like a dart board which had several spikes on the back. She was some kind of creature, but I don't know what…"

"She was a Tomte…" the vigilante spoke up.

"What is a Tomte?" Lu Dog asked.

"A Tomte…" Sun spoke, walking over to the bookshelf and pulling out a large book before walking over to the couch and setting it down on the table in front of the couch, opening it up to a page where a large holographic image of the exact same creature that The Target was popped out. "…is a mythological creature that usually takes care of a farmer's home and children. Apparently this one is fed up with serving ungrateful humans."

"Well, you answered all of the questions except for how to stop her…" Haley growled.

"You need to have a plan…" the Vigilante Dragon spoke up. "You can't just go in there and fight. I would think that your dragon master would have taught you that…"

"She did!" Haley spat. "Are you trying to tell me that Sun is a poor master?"

"Absolutely not!" the Vigilante Dragon took a step back and put up his claws. "In fact, you are lucky that you even have a master."

Before Haley could say anything else, Sun put her hand on her shoulder. "Haley…" Sun said. "I'm going to go report to the Council and tell them what you have just told me. I should be back by morning. You stay here and lock up after I leave. Lu Dog, you set up the force-field. You should be safe then."

LINE BREAK

Sun Park walked out the door of Canal Street Electronics and into the cool night. Turning around, Sun watched as the green force-field surrounded the shop before she turned and transformed into her sky-blue dragon form. As soon as her transformation was complete, Sun was about to take off into the air, but she stopped and gasped when she saw the dark form of a person, or creature.

"Who's there?" Sun demanded, and when she didn't get an answer, she held out her claw and blew a fireball into it. Holding it up so she could see, Sun gasped; standing in front of her was a grinning Tomte wearing a target board.

"Hello dragon…" the Tomte smiled.

"So, you're the killer?" Sun asked, staring at the creature. "How did you find us?"

"It was quite easy to find you…" The Target growled. "All I had to do was follow your dragon student here. Anyone could think of that…So, are you ready?"

"Oh, I'm ready…" Sun prepared herself. "To capture you…" With a growl, Sun Park then lifted off the ground and shot at the assassin. As she saw the dragon coming for her, The Target merely grinned as she reached behind her and pulled out a metal spike, which she thrust up, just as Sun passed her.

Sun's eyes widened in surprise as she saw the spike aiming for her chest; quickly, Sun brought her claws down and wrapped them around the spike, grabbing it as she flew by, landing a couple yards away and turning around. "You'll pay for that, dragon!" The Target roared as she started to reach for another spike, and just as Sun flew up to her, she pulled out the spike and threw it.

As the spike soared through the air, it spun, making it so that when it reached Sun, the dull end of the spike planted itself in Sun's arm, making the Korean Dragon scream in pain as she fell backwards onto the ground…

LINE BREAK

Inside the shop, Haley was sitting on the couch reading, but she was too nervous at the moment. Closing the book, Haley looked up at the Vigilante Dragon as he stood in the corner. "You know…" Haley spoke. "…you could go into human form…"

"I don't know how…" the vigilante replied.

Haley was just about to respond, but before she could open her mouth, Haley could hear the scream. "SUN!" Haley shouted, recognizing the voice. Leaping into the air, a bright pink light consumed Haley, and her pink dragon form sped out of the room.

LINE BREAK

The Target growled in annoyance as she watched Sun hit the ground; her weapon not being used to its intent. The Target scowled as she walked over to Sun and bent down next to the dragon, reaching down, The Target grabbed Sun by her throat with her metal hand and lifted Sun up, using her other hand to rip the spike from her arm and hold it up to her chest. "Say goodbye, dragon…" The Target growled, just as a dragon Haley, followed by the vigilante dragon opened the door of the shop and stepped outside, blocked by the force field.

"SUN!" Haley shouted, making The Target turn her head to face her.

Smiling, The Target spoke: "Don't worry, American Dragon. Once I am done with your master, I will finish you…"

"Move aside, Haley…" Haley turned her head to see that the Vigilante Dragon was moving passed her; opening his mouth, the vigilante dragon let loose a torrent of fire upon the wall of the force-field. Although Haley didn't think it would work, the American Dragon was surprised to see that it was in fact working; the Vigilante Dragon's fire was putting a hole into the force-field. Finally, when the hole was big enough, the vigilante flew out of it and slammed into The Target. Haley quickly followed out of the hole and flew over to Sun.

"Sun, are you okay?" Haley asked. Although Sun just stared at her. "Sun, say something!"

Meanwhile, The Target flipped over in the air, landing on her feet as the Vigilante Dragon threw his claws at her repeatedly, trying to swipe at her. The Target simply grinned as she dodged all of the swipes, even reaching behind her and pulling out a spike. When the vigilante dragon saw this, he reacted quickly; jumping back and blasting fire from his mouth. The fire blast hit The Target, lifting her from her feet and sending the screaming villain flying into the sky and out of sight.

With the villain gone, the Vigilante Dragon turned and made her way back over to Haley and the injured Sun. "We need to get her medical attention now…"

BLACKOUT; CUT TO COMMERCIAL

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

The sound of a beeping heart monitor sounded out all throughout the room that Haley and the Vigilante Dragon were standing in as Sun Park sat on a hospital bed on the Island of Draco, as Fred Nerk finished wrapping a bandage around her arm. "You are very luck, Master Park." Nerk reported. "If it had been the other end, you wouldn't be here right now."

"What are you talking about?" Haley asked.

"Well…" Nerk answered. "We finished doing the tests on the victims, and it appears that they were injected with a very powerful, fast-acting poison. After you are injected with it, you will be gone within fifteen seconds—thirty for strong dragons."

Haley was just about to say something, but before she could, the doors opened and Councilor Fachtna stormed into the room. "You didn't catch the killer, did you?" he demanded, looking right at Haley.

"No…" Haley replied slowly.

"That's unacceptable!"

"Councilor…" Sun spoke up weakly. "You shouldn't be getting mad at her. If it hadn't been for Haley, she would have destroyed me…"

A sarcastic smile appeared on Fachtna's face. "How noble…" he mocked. "But it's a real shame that I care more about results. Dragon Long, you must find that fiend and destroy him or her! If you don't, it will be on you…"

"Don't be stupid, Councilor…" the Vigilante Dragon spoke. "Since when do dragons stoop down to the level of the criminals that we are supposed to keep away? I thought the Dragon Council didn't agree with killing?"

"Sometimes it is the only way…" Fachtna coldly retorted.

"Oh really?" the Vigilante Dragon shot back. "Then why is it that the American Dragon doesn't have an older brother anymore?"

This question made Councilor Fachtna roar with rage as he transformed into his dragon form in a bright light. Whirling around, the Councilor flew over to the Vigilante Dragon and slammed him against the wall. "How dare you question me?" Fachtna growled. "This is the only option, and the Huntsgirl was way out of line! Councilors Andam and Kulde had it under control! Who are you anyway?" Before the Vigilante Dragon could react, Fachtna reached up and pulled off his ski-mask, revealing the face of a navy blue dragon. Fachtna at first looked surprised, but then he smiled cruelly.

"Darnell Knucker…" Fachtna stepped back and let the dragon go. "I thought we'd never see you again. What are you still doing handling magical situations? Well, you've gotten yourself into this mess, and now you're going to help Dragon Long eliminate this threat. And when you get back, I'm going to reward you with a nice, cold jail cell…"

"I won't be coming back here…" the Vigilante Dragon growled.

"I think you will be coming back, because if you don't, I'll start a manhunt for you…" Fachtna replied. "Now, I think you should get going…"

LINE BREAK

Haley sighed as she flew through the air along with the Vigilante Dragon, who also looked very trouble. Finally, Haley decided to break the silence: "What did he mean?"

"It doesn't matter…" the Vigilante Dragon growled back. "I really don't want to talk about it…"

"Well, alright…" Haley grinned and turned her head so he could see her smile. "You can just tell me your story later…when I visit you in prison…"

"Fine!" the Vigilante dragon growled. "Fine, you want to hear my life story? Fine! I'll tell you! I could never control my powers. I went through so many masters, and none of them could help me. They all abandoned me…"

LINE BREAK

_A thirteen year old navy blue dragon sat alone in the main hall on the Island of Draco. The doors soon opened, and Councilor Andam stepped inside, followed by a dragon of about thirty, who was gray and had short brown hair and a small mustache. _

"_Dragon Knucker…" Andam spoke, making the young dragon look up at him. "This is your new dragon master. I am expecting that you will try your best…" Andam then turned and left the building, leaving the new master alone with his new pupil._

"_Well, hello Darnell…" the master finally said. "I am sure that you and I are going to get along swimmingly. Now, the councilors tell me that you are having trouble controlling your powers. Is that correct?"_

_Darnell did not answer._

"_Its okay, Darnell…" the master said softly. 'It is nothing to be ashamed of. I'm here to help you. You can tell me and I will not judge you…"_

_The young dragon just stared at his master for another minute before he nodded. "I guess…" he said._

"_Well, all of your problems are going to end today…" the master smiled. "All of your other teachers never taught you how to control yourself. Now, I personally believe that controlling your powers is more important than your form, so…can you give me a fireball, right into your claws?"_

"_Okay…" Darnell said slowly, using his tail to push himself to his feet. _

"_Okay, now just hold out your hands…" the master instructed, and the young pupil obeyed his master. "Now blow…"_

_Nodding, the young dragon put his snout to his claws and opened his mouth; a fireball shot out, only it was much bigger than he had expected and it shot right into the ground._

_Outside, all of the dragons on the island watched in horror as the entire main hall went up in flames._

_LINE BREAK_

_Sometime later, Darnell and his master stood in front of Andam and Kulde. Darnell looked rather frightened, as he saw the angry looks on the faces of the council members and of his master. "How could you let this happen?" Andam demanded._

"_It wasn't my fault!" Darnell's master tried to defend himself. "I was just trying to do what you hired me to do! This dragon is completely un-trainable! He's going to end up killing some innocent dragon, human or other creature! I don't want to train him!" Then, the master turned and flew off into the air, leaving._

_Andam sighed. "What are we supposed to do now? That was the last good master. And I doubt that any other master would want to train him…"_

"_There is only one thing we can do…" Kulde spoke. "He can't stay here…"_

_Hearing this, the young dragon's eyes widened in fear, and he found himself backing away in fright. He knew where this was going…_

"_He must be kicked out of the order…" Kulde finished. "…for good…"_

LINE BREAK

Haley's eyes widened as the Vigilante Dragon told her this. "So…" the Vigilante Dragon finished. "They kicked me out of the order for good. For some reason, though, they didn't strip me of my dragon chi. I don't know why. All I know is that I had to look out for myself from then on out. I couldn't turn my back on my job, even if those two didn't want me to help. I'm a dragon. Isn't the job of a dragon to protect?"

"Yes, it is…" Haley answered quietly.

"That's why I became what I am now…" the Vigilante Dragon explained. "That's why I defied the Council, and that is why that corrupt, twisted Fachtna wants me locked away. Hey, do you mind if we take a rest? I'm getting rather tired…"

"Sure…" Haley responded.

The two dragons flew down to the roof of a building, where Haley reverted to human form and the Vigilante Dragon sat down. "So…" Haley began. "You can never go into human form?"

"No, I can't." the Vigilante Dragon replied. "It's not so bad. It might be at first, but you get used to—Haley, do you hear something?"

"No…" Haley answered, trying to listen. "I—Actually, I do…" Haley listened carefully, and could hear the sound of grinding metal.

The Vigilante Dragon nodded as he stood up, Haley transforming into her pink dragon form; both hearing the same sound. "It sounds like it's coming from next door…" Haley reported.

"I agree…" the Vigilante Dragon said, and together, the two dragons walked over to the edge of the building and looked at the next building; the two were surprised to see that there was no roof of the next building, there was only one wooden beam lodged between the two walls. Both dragons lifted off of the ground and flew over to the beam. Landing, the two dragons gasped.

Inside the building was The Target; she was sharpening her metal spikes on a spinning blade, and there were piles of metal spikes on the ground, as well as piles of bones on the other side of the room, no doubt victims of the psychopath.

The two dragons watched as the killer turned away from the spinning blade and bent down, slowly grabbing spikes and sticking them into their places on the back of her costume. "Darnell, why aren't we doing anything?" Haley whispered. "We could have had her by now!"

"Shh!" the Vigilante Dragon shot. "Don't let her hear you! And remember what I said before? You should never act out of haste."

The two dragons then both looked down, and gasped in horror. The metal spikes and The Target were gone…

Suddenly, the Haley turned her head to the left when she saw a pair of metal hands grabbing the beam, and the next thing Haley knew, The Target pulled herself up onto the beam. Reaching behind her back and pulling out a spike, she smiled. "Well, the dragons must have a death wish. They've returned…"

Then, The Target charged right for Haley, her spike ready. "Haley, watch out!" Haley could hear Darnell calling, and then the next thing she knew, she found herself being shoved to the side, and she could see The Target jumping onto the vigilante, the vigilante lifting off of the beam and into the air.

But Haley had been so startled by being shoved out of the way, that she felt her form disappearing and she felt herself falling for the ground. Yelling in fear, Haley reached out and grabbed the wooden beam, stopping her fall.

Getting a good grip on the beam, Haley pulled herself and watched as The Target ran up Darnell's back as he searched frantically around for her and tried to grab her off of his scaly back. Then, The Target reached his head and pulled out a stake.

"Darnell, watch out!" Haley called out.

The Vigilante Dragon caught her message, and he glanced up, reaching up and grabbing The Target in his claws before she could strike. Bringing The Target down to his level, the vigilante stared her in the eye. "It looks like its over." He said. "I've got you…"

"Oh, it's quite the other way around…" The Target grinned. "It looks like it is I who has you!" The Vigilante Dragon stared in confusion at her words, but then his eyes widened in shock as he realized what she meant when he saw that she had a spike in her hands.

Haley could not see what had happened, as The Target's back was to her. She was assuming that The Target had surrendered, though. Unfortunately, she was in for quite a surprise. The next thing the American Dragon knew, the vigilante roared loudly in pain, and The Target slipped from his claws, plummeting to the ground. But Haley didn't care, for her eyes widened in horror as she looked at the Vigilante Dragon. In his chest was one of The Target's spikes.

Haley was speechless, and she could just watch as Darnell made eye contact with her as he struggled for breath. Then, his wings failed and the Vigilante Dragon fell backwards, falling to the ground where he crashed down on top of the pile of bones; the bones shattering as he hit.

"Darnell!" Haley shouted, transforming into her dragon form in a bright pink light before she sped down to where the vigilante was laying on the ground. Haley wanted to check for a pulse, but she knew it was useless. Lowering her head, Haley turned away from the dragon and walked away, catching sight of The Target as well; The Target was laying on her back, unmoving. It was obvious that she was dead as well; she had landed on her back, pushing the spikes up into her back.

Haley ignored The Target and walked passed her, stopping on the other side of the room, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her communication device from her pocket. Haley sighed as the holographic form of Councilor Fachtna appeared. "Yes?" he asked.

"We did it…" Haley said monotonously. "The killer has been slain."

"Excellent, Dragon Long!" Fachtna exclaimed. "Very good. You and Dragon Knucker can come back now…"

"Well, that's what I wanted to…" Haley tried to explain, but she didn't have enough time. Before she could finish, the form of Fachtna disappeared and Haley was left alone.

LINE BREAK

Hours later, Haley sat at the bedside of her dragon master, who was lying on the bed, still in dragon form. "I couldn't believe it, Sun!" Haley told her. "I just couldn't believe it. It had to have been the most horrific thing that I have ever seen."

"I'm surprised, Haley…" Sun told her. "You've seen a lot as a dragon. But you know what? Bad things happen to good people, Haley. You can't stop it from happening."

"I know, Sun…" Haley replied as she started to stand up. "Well, I think you should get some more rest."

"Perhaps that would be best…" Sun agreed.

Haley then turned and walked out of the door and into the hall. Stepping outside, Haley sighed as she walked out onto the grass before making her way her way to a gate, where there were several statues of fallen heroes. There weren't that many: there was one of the Dragon of France, one of the Azerbaijan Dragon, one of the Canadian Dragon, and then finally, the newest statue was one of TJ, who had been slain nine years prior.

Haley then froze as she heard footsteps. Slowly turning around, Haley could see Councilor Fachtna. "What are you doing here?" he asked her.

"Are you going to make a statue for Darnell?"

"What?" Fachtna asked, and then he laughed. "Don't be a child, Dragon Long! You are far too old for that! Why would I have a statue made for a dragon that goes against the orders of the Council?"

"He helped me…" Haley replied. "He was a hero…"

"He was a troublemaker…" Fachtna corrected her. "And that is what he will be remembered for. Just like your brother…"

Fachtna then turned around and was about to walk away, but he turned back around when Haley spoke: "What is wrong with you?"

Fachtna's eyes narrowed as he walked back over to Haley. "You better learn to show some respect, Dragon Long…" he growled. "There is nothing wrong with me. I am trying my best to work with the situation we have with the humans right now, and I am also trying to keep you safe from becoming what your brother became! The council can't have that happen."

Haley watched as the head of the council then turned and stormed away. As soon as Fachtna was gone, Haley lowered her head. "Well…" she said to herself. "What if I want to be more like him?"

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: So, how was that? Too dark? You can tell me if you thought iy was too dark in your review.**

**As for why I killed off the Vigilante Dragon, it was because I didn't like him as a character. I was originally going to have him play a much bigger role, but I ended up not liking him. So, away he goes…**


	8. Chapter 8

American Dragon: Haley Long (Season One)

Chapter/Episode 8: Dragons of the Jury

Brad Morton sighed as he leaned against the wall in his office, as the female officer sat at his desk, typing on a laptop, the female officer growled in frustration as the laptop froze. "Curse you, you blasted 2007 model!" the officer cursed.

"Sarah…" Brad finally spoke. "Are you sure you really want to do this?"

"Of course I want to do this…" the officer replied. "You shouldn't be worried if we get got. Your daddy got you this job; he'll protect you. Besides, you don't like these dragons, do you?"

"Of course not!" Brad replied. "I just—I just don't get your plan, okay…"

"Then it's a good thing I have a higher IQ than you do…" Sarah replied, rolling her eyes. "Perhaps it's best that you don't know what's going on…"

"Officer Thornton!" a new voice called, and a few seconds later, a new police officer who had combed back blonde hair, glasses and a uniform that looked a little too big for him appeared in the doorway. "Officer Thornton, I got what you wanted me to get."

"Excellent!" Thornton said, getting up from her chair and snatching a brown folder from Deputy Nolan's hands as he held it out for her. Officer Thornton chuckled as she undid the seal and pulled out a piece of paper, which she looked at with sparkling eyes.

BLACKOUT; PLAY THEME SONG

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Police Chief Brad Morton Senior sat in his desk writing a report when Officer Thornton appeared in the doorway, followed by Brad and Deputy Nolan. Morton Sr. looked up from his paper. "Yes?" he asked. "What do you want?"

"Well, sir…" Thornton said as she walked up to his desk, placing the paper she pulled out of the folder onto his desk. "It appears that President Brock has issued a decree that says that dragons are un-welcomed here."

"Let me see that…" the chief demanded, and Thornton handed it to him. After looking at the paper for a second before he set it down. "This is forged…"

Thornton's eyes widened. "What?" she asked. "What would make you think that?" She was sweating…

"Do you think I'm stupid?" Morton Sr. demanded. "My son may be a little slow, but I know a forged document when I see one…"

Thornton was sweating as the chief stood up from his seat. Thinking quickly, Thornton reached toward her belt and grabbed her gun pointing it at the chief. "Not so fast…" Thornton warned. "You aren't going to ruin this. Here…" Thornton then turned to Nolan and handed him the gun. "You take him out of here and place him in one of the cells…"

"Why do I have to do it?" Deputy Nolan asked, his hands shaking with the gun. "Why can't you do it?"

"Oh, well…" Thornton answered. "Well, you're involved now, so you do it."

"I think this is going too far…" the deputy moaned, but nonetheless, he pointed the gun at the chief. "Come on, sir…" he ordered in a timid voice. Chief Morton growled in anger, but he obeyed, walking out of the room, followed by Deputy Nolan.

"So now what?" Brad asked.

"It's just a small setback…" Thornton answered. "But don't worry. I can pass this off as real."

"How?"

"My cousin…"

LINE BREAK

Thornton and Brad stood on the front porch of a nice house somewhere in Manhattan. Brad whistled in amazement as Thornton reached up and knocked on the door before stepping back. "So, what can your cousin do for us?" Brad asked her.

"Would you just wait?" Thornton barked back, only to turn her head as the door slowly opened and she could see the face of a clean-shaven, blue eyes, combed black hair, and even though it was early in the morning, a suit and tie. "Hello, cousin…"

"Sarah?" he asked. "What do you want?"

"Brad, this is my cousin…" Thornton seemed to ignore her cousin. "…Michael…"

"Sarah, what do you want?" her cousin demanded, raising his voice. "Why are you here? We haven't seen each other in years. What do you want?"

"Michael, I have something for you to look at…" Thornton replied.

LINE BREAK

A few moments later, Thornton sat on the opposite side of her cousin at the kitchen table as she handed him the forged document. "Well, this is obviously forged…" Michael said the second he looked at it. "But that is just because I've worked with these kinds of things."

"My father also didn't fall for it…" Brad, who was leaning against the kitchen counter, said.

"That's because he's also had experience…" Michael rolled his eyes. "Listen, I'm not trying to put you down, because the truth is, the idiots who are on the jury because they got jury duty, as well as the judge herself, probably won't know that it is a faked document."

"Wait, so you know what I want to do?"

"I'm not an idiot, Sarah." Michael replied. "You've hated dragons for as long as I can remember. I'm sure you want to trick some poor fool into arresting all dragons…"

"Actually, that isn't what I want…" Thornton replied. "Just one; that's all I want. Perhaps then it will show dragons and all other magical creatures that we do not want them around. Then, they'll leave."

"Well, I'm sure that there'll be a trial…" Michael started to drum his fingers against the table. "And I'm guessing that that is why you came to me…"

"I guess you could say that…"

"Well, then all I have to say is one thing…" Michael stood up. "If I help you, what is in it for me?"

Thornton didn't seem surprised that her cousin asked her this, but she still just stared at him for a minute. Then, she smiled and spoke: "You'll see in time…"

"You have no idea how you're going to pay me back, do you?" Michael asked with a small frown, but then he smiled slightly. "Alright, I'll help you, and in the meantime, I'll let you think about it. After all, we're family, and family should help each other out, right?"

"Sure…"

"Well…do you have any ideas on the poor dragon soul that you want to make suffer?"

Thornton seemed to think about this for a second, before she finally smiled and turned to Brad. "What was the name of that boy you didn't like in high school that turned out to be a dragon?"

"You mean Jerk Long?"

"Yes!" Thornton exclaimed. "Didn't he have a sister?"

"I think so…"

LINE BREAK

"Now, Haley!" Sun Park, who still had a bandage wrapped over her arm, stood behind her pupil; Haley was in dragon form with a blind fold over her eyes. "Sometimes, you may not be able to see what is going on in a battle. You must lean to trust your form and skills."

"But Sun…" Haley asked. "Isn't that what my 'eye of the dragon' is for?"

"Haley…"

"Alright, alright…" Haley gave in. "Now what?"

"Alright, just trust yourself." Sun instructed. "Now, use your tail. Punch! Swipe! Tail! Swipe!" As Sun instructed, Haley followed all of Sun's orders, lashing out with her tail and claws. "Very good, Haley! You can stop now and take off the blindfold."

Haley sighed with relief as she reached up and pulled off her blindfold, blinking when she found the sunlight a little too much. "Now what, Sun?" she asked.

"Well, now…" Sun started to say, but she was cut off as she heard loud sirens coming toward the shop. Both dragons turned around as they saw a hovering cruiser stop in front of the roof. The doors opened, and both Brad and Thornton stepped out of the car.

"Haley Long?" Thornton asked.

"Yes?"

Before Haley could respond, Brad reached onto his belt and pulled out a single cuff. "You're under arrest…" Thornton finished. "Revert to your human form and don't fight us, or we will be forced to hurt you…" Haley was so frightened, her pink dragon form fading away as Brad walked up behind Haley, pulling her arms behind her back, opening the cuff. As soon as Brad closed the cuff after pulling Haley's hands together, the cuff immediately shrank, coming down hard on Haley's wrists, making her gasp in pain.

As Haley found herself being forced over to the car, her heart started to race; throwing a glance to Sun, Haley called: "Sun, what's going on? Please do something!"

Sun was completely in shock, but she managed to make her way to Thornton. "What is going on?" Sun demanded. "What has she done?"

Thornton just smiled at the Korean Dragon. "Don't worry…" she said. "I have a feeling that young Haley will be out in no time…"

Before Sun could say anything more, Thornton then walked off, getting into the cruiser, which already had Haley locked in the back. Sun then just stared in shock as the departed.

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Haley shivered with fear as she was lead down the dark halls of the nearest prison. She turned her head and looked at the bars and beyond, into the dark and damp cells. Finally, Brad halted her and he reached for his belt, pulling out a key and unlocking the bars to the cell that they were standing in front of. As soon as Brad slid open the cell door, he shoved Haley in roughly. Haley stumbled across the ground before she fell over, and since her hands were still locked behind her, she fell over onto her stomach as Brad walked away.

LINE BREAK

Sun sat in the Long residence not long after Haley's arrest with sorrowful eyes as she watched Susan cry over her husband's shoulder. "How could this happen?" Jonathan asked. "What has she even done wrong?"

"She hasn't done anything wrong, Mr. Long." Sun answered. "I am certain that this is some kind of misunderstanding…"

Susan sniffled as she removed her head from her husbands shoulder. Wiping her eyes, she spoke: "What should we do? Our daughter can't go to prison, Jonathan!"

"We'll get an attorney, honey…" Jonathan said reassuringly. "Like Miss Park said, I'm sure that this is all a big misunderstanding…"

LINE BREAK

Haley was lying on her side in her prison cell, in a near fetal position; she suddenly lifted her head up off of the ground when she saw the female officer who had arrested her appear at her cell door. "You have visitors…" she muttered as she slid the door open, and the next thing she knew, Sun, her mom, her dad and a woman she had never seen before walked into the cell.

"Haley!" both of her parents called for her, and the rushed over to her, pulling her up into a sitting position. "Are you okay, Haley?" her father asked her. Haley simply nodded. "Its okay, Haley; we hired you an attorney."

Haley then looked up and stared at the new woman, who had her brown hair pulled back; she wore a blouse and a tie with a coat over it as well as a skirt. She smiled kindly at Haley. "Hello, Haley…" the attorney said. "My name is Michelle Cade, and I'm going to help you." Then, she turned to Thornton. "You can let her out of those things now. She's not going anywhere."

"I don't have that kind of authority…" Thornton lied, trying to avoid eye contact with the attorney.

"Then do you mind telling me why this young girl is even here?"

"I wasn't told…"

"I find that very hard to believe…" Cade replied. "Whatever, can you leave us alone?" Cade watched as Thornton left the cell before she returned to Haley. "Okay Haley, I'm going to do everything in my power to get you out of this."

"What should we do?" Susan asked.

"Well, since we have no idea why your daughter is in this predicament, I do not yet know the evidence against her."

"Can you please just tell us what we need to do?" Susan asked.

"I would advise you to find someone who could testify in favor of Haley…" Cade answered. "A friend, perhaps…"

"She unfortunately doesn't have any friends…" Jonathan answered. "She's never been very popular…"

"Are you sure that there is no one who would want to help her?"

Jonathan was about to answer, but before he could, Sun beat him to it: "Well, there may be one person who would be willing to, but I'm not quite sure…"

"Ask her…"

LINE BREAK

"They got her an attorney!" Thornton exclaimed as she sat on the opposite side of her cousin at his house. "They got her one! Who in their right minds would defend a dragon?"

"Of course they got her one…" Michael rolled his eyes. "And it doesn't mean that the attorney cares. It could just mean that the attorney only care about money. Or perhaps she doesn't even know…"

This made Thornton smile. "She may not know, huh? Well, she's going to find out. This is where you come in…"

"Of course this is where I come in." Michael rolled his eyes again. "Do you know who they got to defend her?"

"Some woman named Cade…"

"Oh, she's good…" Michael looked down at the table, but then grinned. "But of course, I'm better…"

LINE BREAK

Sun Park flew high in the sky the next afternoon until she reached Millard Fillmore High School; Sun landed right beside the stairs and ducked down just as the bell rang. Seconds later, the two doors opened and the students poured out of the buildings. Sun watched as all of the students left, until she finally caught sight of the girl she needed. And what luck, she was the last person to exit.

"Leah!" Sun whispered, calling out to her and making the girl turn around, looking for the voice. "Is someone there?" Leah asked.

"Leah, it's me…" Sun stood straight up, making Leah back up with a now nervous look on his face. "Leah, don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you. I would never do that."

"What do you want?"

"Leah, please just listen to me." Sun pleaded. "Haley's in trouble, and she needs your help."

"Why does she need my help?"

"Haley's been arrested…" Sun explained. "I do not know the reason, but I know it has to be some kind of misunderstanding…."

"You still haven't explained why…" Leah cut her off.

"We need someone to defend her during the trial." Sun admitted. "You're the only person I know who could possibly help her."

Leah just stared at Sun for a moment. Finally, she opened her mouth. "I…I don't think I can help you…"

"Why not?" Sun asked. "Haley needs you! Didn't she help you when you needed it?"

"You mean when she saved me from being blown up?" Leah demanded. "Yeah, thanks for that! Because Haley saved me, I should completely forget that it was one of her kind that did that to me in the first place? Or how about the fact that it was a dragon that hurt my brother?"

Sun just stared at Leah for a moment before she looked down at the ground. "When are you going to learn that is not the fault of our species for what a single dragon has done? Yes, there are bad dragons out there, but there also bad humans who would do the same thing to someone like you. Just something for you to think about…" Then, flaring her wings, Sun took off into the air, flying away and leaving Leah alone.

LINE BREAK

"So, you didn't get her friend?" Cade asked as she sat on the couch at Canal Street Electronics next to Sun. "That's a real shame. Someone will have to speak in Haley's defense. You know, say something along the lines of 'she could never do anything like that' or 'she was with me when the crime occurred' or something around those lines."

"Well, it really seems like she didn't want to do it." Sun sighed. "I can't force her to help."

"Actually, if the person knows something, I think there could be a way…" Cade smiled slightly. "Does this girl know something that could help Haley?

"No…" Sun answered. "I was actually just thinking that…" But before Sun could finish, both could hear the ringing of the bell above the door. A moment later, Leah stepped into the room with an uneasy look on her face. "Leah…" Sun asked. "What are you doing here?"

"So, this is the girl?" Cade asked.

"Yes." Sun answered. "Can I help you with something, Leah?"

"I…" Leah started to say. "I…I…I thought about what you said before…and…I'll help you. I'll testify for Haley."

LINE BREAK

Chief Morton growled as he sat in a dark prison cell right in front of where Deputy Nolan was sitting, with a very worried look on his face. "Sir…" the deputy finally spoke. "Sir, you know that I'm just following Thornton's orders, right?"

The chief didn't answer.

The deputy decided to continue: "I really don't want any trouble. I'm going to let you out. You know, as soon as Thornton tells me it is okay to. Listen, you won't be mad, will you? I don't want to get into any trouble. I've worked hard to get this far here…" By this time, Deputy Nolan was pacing around the room, having gotten up out of his seat.

Watching the deputy pace, the chief smiled. "Of course I'm not mad at you…" he said, making Deputy Nolan turn around with a relieved look on his face. "I understand how you are just following orders. You won't be in any trouble, unfortunately, Thornton and my son will. So, why don't you just…give more your gun and let me out. I'll just put you in here for the time being, but I promise that no ill-fate will await you when all this is over…"

Hearing this, Deputy Nolan's face lit up, and he nodded with relief. "Okay…" he sighed, reaching for his belt and pulled out his gun, handing it to his chief through the bars. Then, Nolan reached for his keys and unlocked the cell door, sliding it open and allowing Chief Morton out of the cell.

Chief Morton then grabbed hold of the cell and closed it, then turned to Nolan, who now looked confused. "Give me your cuffs…" Chief Morton ordered.

"But, aren't you going to put me in there?"

"Just do it!" Chief Morton ordered, pointing the gun at the deputy. Now trembling, Deputy Nolan reached for his belt and pulled out his single cuff handcuffs, handing them to the chief. "Now put your hands together and place them against one of the bars."

Nolan nodded and did as he was told, and the chief put the cuff around the bar and the deputy's hands before locking them, making Nolan wince in pain. "What are you doing?" Nolan asked. "I don't get it!"

"Congratulations, son…" Chief Morton smiled. "You are the only person on this planet who is stupider than my son…" Then, Chief Morton turned and walked away.

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

The next morning, Sun Park, Leah and Haley's parents all sat together in the court room, as Cade stood in front of them. "Okay…" the attorney started. "Today is the big day. And to start things off, I have no idea how this is going to turn out, but I'm going to do my best."

Both Jonathan and Susan looked at each other before they both looked at Cade. "That's all we can ask of you…" they both said in unison.

"Well, I just wish that I had been told more…" Cade added. "This just isn't fair. I don't get it. Why won't those officers tell me more? Well, it is what it is. So Leah, you have your story, right?"

"Yes…"

"I think we should go over it just one more time." Cade said, but before she could say anything else, the doors to the court room opened and Michael entered the room, followed by Thornton and Brad, who entered, each on the opposite side of Haley, who was in chains and in dragon form.

"Haley…" Susan exclaimed, burying her face on her husbands shoulder at the sight of her daughter as Thornton brought her over to the table where her family was sitting and sat her down.

"I was never told she was a dragon…" Cade stared at the dragon sitting in front of her. "Oh well. I'm not going to just leave the case. I'm going to help you out. In fact, I think I may even have an idea…"

"What?" Sun asked. "What are you saying?"

"Just trust me on this one…" Cade whispered back as the room started to fill up, the jury members all sitting down as the bailiff walked up and addressed everyone in the room.

"All rise for the honorable Judge Camryn!" the bailiff ordered as the judge entered the room, everyone in the room, except Haley, standing.

"Be seated…" the judge demanded, and everyone sat back down. "Bailiff, care to tell me the case?"

"Parents took these police officers to court after they arrested their dragon daughter…" the bailiff spoke. "According to these police officers, the president has declared that magical creatures are not allowed in the country…"

This caused much whispers from everyone in the room. Cade turned to Haley's horrified parents and whispered to them: "You didn't tell me that this was the case…"

"We didn't know…" Jonathan replied.

Cade sighed as she brought her hand to her head. Lowering her hand, she sighed again. "Well, I'm not just going to give up on you…"

"Yes, your honor…" Thornton stood up. "We were just following orders. We had no idea that the family would be taking us to court…"

"I didn't ask…" the judge responded. "And personally, I just want to get this over with? Do you have a witness, or whatever to call to the stand?"

"I do your honor…" Cade stood up. "I call Leah Belden to the stand…" As she spoke, Leah slowly stood and made her way over to the stand, sitting down as Cade approached her, holding a bible in front of her. "Place your hand on it…" Leah complied as Cade continued. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth?"

"I…I do…"

"Alright Leah…" Cade began. "Do you mind telling me how you know Haley?"

"Well, we go to the same school…"

"And where is that?"

"Millard Fillmore High School…"

"Okay…" Cade nodded. "Well, you agreed to testify in Haley's defense, so you must have some sort of reason. Do you mind telling me the relationship between you two?"

"Well, we don't really have one…" Leah answered quietly. "In fact, the only reason I have even said anything to her is because she saved me…"

"So a dragon saved you?" Cade smiled as she turned to the judge and then the jury. "I think that is the perfect reason why this whole 'outlawing dragons' thing should not be happening right now…"

"…But…" Leah added. "…She saved me from another dragon…"

"You see?" Michael stood up from his seat. "That still proves that dragons and other creatures do not get along with us. On top of that, I also have the document that reveals the president's decision…" Michael then reached into his coat and pulled out the piece of paper. "It states that dragons have until the end of the month to get out."

"Really?" Cade retorted. "Then you don't mind if I see the document?" When Cade said this, Thornton's eyes widened as she got from her seat and rushed over to where her cousin is standing. "You don't need to see it! The bailiff and the jury members all saw it! What makes you think you'll see anything different?"

"Well gee…" Cade's smile widened. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were hiding something. So, why don't you prove to me that you're not hiding something by showing me that document?"

"I'm not hiding anything…" Michael replied.

"Then give me the document…"

"Just give him the bloody document!" the judge called out. Michael growled as he handed over the document, a now nervous Thornton moving passed Cade and over to Leah.

"Thank you…" Cade smiled as she took it. The attorney stared at the document for a moment before she turned to everyone in the room. "This document is obviously a fake." This caused somewhat of a gasp to come from the "audience". "Yes…" Cade continued. "As you might be able to tell if I were to show you this, you'd be able to see that the date this was signed was the exact same day as Haley's arrest."

"That doesn't prove anything!" Michael defended.

"Actually, it does…" Cade said victoriously. "Do you really think it's possible for the declaration to be made known in only a few hours? To actually have the document in your own hands?"

"Yes."

"Alright…" Cade replied. "Well, I think it should also be made known that…a few of these words are cut and pasted…"

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Michael declared, but Cade simply ignored him and walked over to the judge, handing it to her. "I think you'll see what I'm talking about."

The judge took the document in her hands and looked at it. "Yes, I can see it." She then turned her head to the guards in the room. "Guards, place the three under arrest."

Thornton watched as the guards were upon her cousin, knocking him onto his stomach as the pulled his arms behind his back and slapped cuffs around his wrists. As he pulled up to his feet, Thornton shouted at him: "I thought you told me that you fixed the document up!"

"I did…" her cousin replied. "Thos cut and pastes were made by me to rearrange some of your words…"

Thornton growled in annoyance as she saw the guards now advancing towards her. On the other side of the room, Brad slowly started to stand up as he saw the guards coming for him, cuffs in one of the guard's hand. Brad quickly turned, jumping over the table, trying to get out of the room. Looking for an exit, Brad quickly spotted the window and ran for it, but he found himself blocked by Jonathan, Susan and Sun.

"No one does this to our daughter…" Jonathan growled as he and his wife corned his sides while Sun stood in front of him.

"Get out of my way!" Brad exclaimed, hitting Jonathan and Susan in their guts as they tried to tackle him. As Jonathan and Susan doubled over, Brad dodged an attack from Sun, the Korean Dragon falling to the ground on her stomach as she missed her target, and jumped up, crashing through the window, landing roughly on his feet.

Brad recovered quickly from the landing, and he stood up, running into the street, just as a rather old looking car screeched to a halt in order to avoid hitting him. Brad yelped in surprise, but he then smiled as he stared into the windshield. He couldn't see the driver's face, but he now had an idea. Pulling out his gun, Brad walked over to the side of the car and opened the door, sitting down in the passenger's seat as he closed the door.

"Give me your car…" Brad ordered, but his eyes widened when he realized who was sitting at the wheel.

"Hello, son…" Chief Morton smiled at him. "Give me that!" He added, snatching the gun away from his son. "We're going to go for a little drive…"

Brad's shocked look soon turned into one of fear, and he tried to turn and get out, but the lock slid down, leaving Brad to helplessly try to open the locked door to no avail as the car sped off.

LINE BREAK

Back in the court room, Thornton took a step back as the guards surrounded her. She knew she was trapped. But she would not give up that easily. Reaching into her belt, Thornton pulled out her gun and reached sideways, grabbing Leah by her arm and pulling her out of the booth and over to her. Thornton put her arm around Leah's neck, and as she hoped, the guards started to back off.

"That's right…" Thornton grinned. "I'm not going to prison now or ever. Let me out of here, or this girl will pay for your stupidity…"

Haley's eyes widened as she saw Thornton walking passed her and to the exit with Leah as her hostage. Thinking quickly, Haley shot her tail backwards, turning her head to see Thornton yell as she tripped over her tail, falling onto her back, her arm leaving Leah's neck. Haley then turned her head to the judge as she spoke.

"Haley Long, your case is dismissed." She said. "And you are hereby exonerated." Haley watched as one of the guards came toward her and slowly unlocked her cuffs. As soon as the cuffs were pulled away, Haley stood up, reverting to her human form as her dragon master and parents walked toward her with smiles on their faces.

Haley smiled back at them before she turned her attention to Leah, who looked ashamed. "Thanks again…" Leah said quietly. "And I'm sorry…"

"For what?"

"For judging you for what someone else did to my brother…" Leah stared at Haley. "I appreciated you saving me, but I was still a little nervous. Is…Is it okay if we, you know, just start over?"

Haley thought about what Leah said for a moment before she smiled. "Of course…"

LINE BREAK

The next morning, Haley sat on the couch at Canal Street Electronics, bored out of her mind. Just as Haley was about to stand up and practice some fighting techniques, she heard the bell of the shop ring as someone entered. Haley soon saw that the person was Cade, as she stepped into the back room. "Hello, Haley." She smiled.

"Hi…"

"Well, I just came by here to tell you…" Cade walked over to the couch. "…that those two cops and that prosecutor have been locked away, and they will remain that way for a very, very long time."

"It doesn't matter to me…"

"Really?" Cade asked. "They tried to get rid of you."

"It's not the dragon way to hold grudges…" Haley answered.

"Well, I also wanted to tell you that the court wants to offer you compensation for your ordeal…"

"It's okay…" Haley answered. "I've been through worse."

"Oh…" Cade was a little shocked. "So, you don't want it?"

"Not really…"

"Oh…" Cade was a little surprised. "Well, that's fine. Well Haley, it was a pleasure…" As she finished, Cade brought her hand up and offered it to Haley, and a moment later, Haley accepted it, shaking her hand.

"Haley!" Sun's voice called out, and both Haley and Cade could see Sun entering the room. "Haley, we have a dragon emergency! There is a fight going on between a human and a gang of mountain goblins! You must hurry before the human gets hurt!"

"On my way, Sun!" Haley exclaimed, jumping into the air in a flash of pink light as her dragon form appeared. In a flash of pink, Haley sped out of the room.

LINE BREAK

Haley stared down at the ground as she flew toward her destination. As she looked down, she could see humans on the street. Sighing, Haley looked up from the ground. She knew that many humans would never change their mind about dragons.

Haley sighed again. She knew she couldn't control what others thought of her, or her kind, but she wished that she could. With one final sigh, Haley continued on her way.

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: So, how was that? Not the most exciting chapter/episode, but I think it's kind of important. It was also a little difficult, as I have no knowledge about how trials work. I did a little bit of research (and when I say a little, I mean a little), but overall, I know it's not very accurate.**

**So, some reviews would be nice. **


	9. Chapter 9

American Dragon: Haley Long (Season One)

Chapter/Episode Nine: Trapped Like A Dog

Anyone within one hundred miles of a tall, dirty and run-down looking building could hear, and therefore would cower at the sound of the loud roar coming from the inside. Inside the building, the masked thief stood backed against the wall of the room as the cloaked dragon paced around, occasionally letting loose a blast of fire that would hit the wall. "Would you be careful?" the thief demanded. "I don't want to be trapped inside here when you burn it down with your temper!"

The cloaked dragon ignored her. "How can it be possible?" he ranted. "How could she defeat me? She doesn't have nearly the amount of experience that I have!" Then, he growled. "It won't happen again..."

"Of course it won't happen again..." the masked thief said sarcastically. "And why do you think it won't happen again? She's done it before, and I'm sure she'll do it again. Listen to me closely, just give up on your stupid quest...and give me the money you owe me."

"Give up?" The cloaked dragon roared, turning on the thief and starting to walk toward her. "I will never give up! And you won't either..."

"Yeah, I'll only give up when you repay me..."

"Oh, I don't think so..." The cloaked dragon was now right in front of her, and the thief could hear the angry warning tone. "No...you aren't serving me for the money, you're serving me for you freedom..." Then, the cloaked dragon turned.

"What?" the thief demanded. "How dare you? I'm not some slave that belongs to you! You owe me, I don't owe you!"

"But you are now mine..." The cloaked dragon turned back to face her. "You can try to leave here, but just remember..." He then raised his clawed hand, and the next thing the thief knew, her hand was starting to glow that bright green color again. "So..." the cloaked dragon spoke again. "Any ideas for my next plan?"

BLACKOUT; PLAY THEME SONG

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Lu Dog opened her eyes and looked up from the couch after a couple hours asleep. The golden retriever could see that it was still pitch black outside, but still, she decided to get up. Hopping off of the couch, Lu Dog trotted across the room and out into the front, where she could see Fu Dog still sleeping on the counter. Slowly, the golden retriever made her way over to the shar-pei and sat down beside him.

"Fu..." she said quietly. In response, Fu Dog did not open his eyes, and he did not move. The only response that the golden got was a moan coming from the older dog. "Fu Dog, can you please just wake up?"

A snore was the dog's only answer.

LINE BREAK

Lu Dog had fallen asleep while waiting for the shar-pei, and the next thing she knew, she was being nudged awake by Fu Dog. Opening her eyes, Lu could see Fu standing over her. "Today's the day, puppy..." he said. "Are you ready for this?"

"As ready as I'll ever be..." Lu answered. "I'm just a little nervous. What if they don't fire me?"

"What, are you kidding?" Fu chuckled. "They'll have no choice but to fire you as soon as you pull off what I'm planning! It's sure-fire!"

"What's your plan?"

"Puppy, all will be revealed in good time!" Fu chuckled, just as the bell above the door rang out as Haley opened the door and stepped inside. "Hey, kid..." Fu greeted her.

"Hey, Fu. Hey Lu..." Haley smiled at the two. "Is Sun here?"

"I think she's still asleep." Fu answered. "Now kid, if you don't mind leaving us alone, we have business to take care of today."

"Ooh, what kind of business?" Haley smiled slightly. "Are you two going to get into trouble?"

"Who?" Fu feigned a hurt look. "Little, loyal us? I'm hurt!"

Haley's smile widened, and she was just about to say something else when Sun Park entered the room. Haley had never seen Sun after she had woken up, and as of this moment in time, she was rather glad she had never seen her like this before. Sun looked tired, and her hair wasn't combed. "Oh, Haley..." Sun greeted her. "What are you doing here so early?"

"Well, I was wondering if we could get an early start with my training today..."

"Is there a specific reason as to why?" Sun smiled slightly. "It's Saturday, you don't have to go to school..."

"Well, Leah kind of invited me to see a movie with her..."

"Well, it's nice to see that you two have become pretty good friends..." Sun said. "I understand, Haley. I am sure we can make something work. Let me get ready."

"Well actually, Sun..." Fu spoke. "The puppy can't help the kid today. We have something we need to take care of."

"You're not trying to get her to help you pay off your gambling debts, are you?" Sun raised her eye at him.

"What?" Fu asked. "No! I would never do that to her! But what we do need to do is go visit the Dragon Council. You know, as a little check up. The Dragon Council wants to see how the puppy is behaving. So, I'm taking her."

"Really?" Sun smiled cynically at the shar-pei. "Well, I wasn't aware that the Council wanted check-ups. Well Fu, I'm glad to see that you have decided to take responsibility for this. Very well, but be back as soon as you can."

"Oh, you can count on that, Sun!" Fu replied as she and Lu Dog turned and walked out of the door. As soon as the two dogs had left, Haley turned to Sun with a surprised look on her face. "Sun..." she said. "Did you actually believe that Fu Dog was telling the truth?"

"Of course not, Haley."

"Then why did you let them go?" Haley asked. "Clearly they must be up to no good!"

"Well..." Sun answered. "Sooner or later, Fu Dog is going to have to learn to take responsibility for his own actions. I don't think he's learned that yet, even after all the years he has spent as an animal guardian."

LINE BREAK

Fu Dog sighed with relief as he and Lu stepped outside of the shop and started to walk down the sidewalk. "Whoo!" Fu exclaimed. "That was a close one! I thought Sun was seeing through my fib, there."

"How do you know she didn't?' Lu asked.

"Are you kidding, puppy?" Fu smiled. "If she knew, she wouldn't let me go. Sun isn't like the old man. Well actually, the old man wouldn't let me go through with this if he knew, either."

"Who was the old man?"

"The old man was one of my best friends..." Fu Dog answered. "He was the Chinese Dragon and he was the grandfather of Haley. He is the one who got me the job of animal guardian. He was a great dragon and a great master."

"What happened to him?"

"He got old..." Fu answered sadly. "He probably aged even faster as Jake was forced to leave. He passed away a few years ago. He left his shop to Sun and Haley so they could train there..."

"Well, that was nice of him..." Lu replied just as she noticed that they had arrived at the bart station. "Let's go." she added, and the two dogs turned and walked down the stairs and quickly made their way over to an elevator. "Okay, puppy." Fu said. "Let me up onto your back and I'll get the buttons..."Lu had a nervous look on her face when Fu told her this, but nonetheless, she lowered herself, allowing Fu onto her back.

"Ughh..." Lu groaned under his weight. "How much do you weigh?"

"Oh, can it puppy!" Fu barked back as he hopped up, putting his two front paws on the wall, leaving it so that he was standing on Lu using only his back paws. "I've almost got it!"

"Yeah, you might want to hurry it up..." Lu informed him as her legs started to shake under Fu's weight. "Because I don't think I can handle you much longer! Please, just hurry!"

"Alright, quit your whining, puppy!" Fu called, and using his paws, he managed to press in the code that made the elevator door open. And it was with good timing too, because just as Fu Dog entered the code, Lu Dog's legs gave in, and both dogs crumpled to the ground with two grunts. "Hey, could you give me a little warning next time?" Fu growled.

"I did!" Lu replied coldly, just as goblin exited the elevator.

"Welcome to Enchanted Elevators, where service comes with a smile..." the goblin grinned at them as the two dogs slowly got up and walked over to the elevator and got inside. "I hate this part..." Lu muttered as the doors slid closed, keeping them inside.

"I do too, puppy..." Fu agreed. "I do too..."

Then, the shaft shot down into the ground, causing Lu Dog to scream and causing Fu to hurl.

LINE BREAK

Back in the abandoned and dark building, the cloaked dragon growled with anger as he slashed his claws into the wall, pieces of plaster falling to the ground. As the cloaked dragon continued, the thief entered the room. "Well, I think you'll be happy to know that I have an idea..."

The cloaked dragon immediately stopped tearing up the wall and turned to the thief. "What?' he asked.

"I said I had an idea." the thief repeated. "And I'm certain that it will not fail."

"What makes you so certain?"

"Because we can pull this off without having to face the dragons..."

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Lu Dog continued to scream as the elevator shaft continued to plummet into the earth. Finally, the shaft came to an abrupt halt, and the doors opened, Lu and Fu both scrambling out of the elevator shaft and onto the cool, green grass that was the Island of Draco.

"Welcome to the Isle of Draco-" the goblin started, but Fu Dog cut him off. "Yeah, yeah! We get it! Come on puppy!" Then, both took off, running as far away from the elevator as possible.

LINE BREAK

Both dogs ran into the cafeteria, which was fortunately empty. Lu Dog panted as Fu turned and closed the doors behind them. Then, turning to Lu, he spoke. "Are you ready for this, puppy?"

"I told you this morning..." Lu answered. "I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

"Then we should prepare." Fu told her. "It's going to take a while, though. We need to be on the exact right place, and we need the stuff."

"You didn't bring it?"

"I'm a dog!" Fu defended himself. "I wouldn't be able to carry it all. Fortunately, I was able to find someone who would be willing to do it..."

"Who?"

LINE BREAK

"Who is that?" Lu Dog asked as she looked at a very light blue dragon with dyed black hair. The dragon wore a chain around his neck and also looked very annoyed. "Puppy..." Fu spoke. "Meet the Scottish Dragon. He's agreed to help us out..."

"Yeah..." the Scottish Dragon muttered. "But I thought that you would be here by now. You're late."

"We're not that late!" Fu growled.

"Whatever..." the dragon retorted.

"Yeah, whatever..." Fu replied. "So, what do you have for us..." After Fu finished speaking, the Scottish Dragon turned, and Lu could see that behind him, was a big bag. The Scottish Dragon reached inside and pulled out what looked like a pie. "Fresh from Ha-Ha's Magical Prank Shop..." the dragon reported.

"What does it do?" Lu asked, looking at it. "It just looks like a regular pie to me..."

"It is a pie..." the Scottish Dragon rolled his eyes. "But it's a special kind of pie. Just throw it in somebody's face, and you'll see what happens. Here, take it dog." Lu just stared at the dragon for a moment before she nodded and took the pie in her teeth.

"Puppy, throw it into the face of someone who would get mad..." Fu advised her. "Leading to you being fired..." 

LINE BREAK

Sun sat in the back of Canal Street Electronics reading a book when she heard the door to the shop open, the bell from above ringing. The next thing Sun knew, Haley entered the room, closely followed by Leah. Sun closed the book and smiled at the two girls. "Hello, Leah..." Sun greeted her. "How was the movie?"

"It was pretty good..." Haley said.

"You mean to say that you loved it!" Leah shot back, a small grin on her face.

"I liked it..." Haley replied. "Okay? I liked it. Are you happy now?"

Sun smiled as she closed her book and stood up. "It's nice to see that you two are getting along..." Sun then walked out of the room and into the front. Sun had just passed by the front door when she heard startled shouts coming from outside. Turning her head and looking out the door, Sun's eyes widened in surprise as she saw cars outside jerking in odd ways and light-poles snapping in half, the metal poles shooting into the air. Sun could also see what looked like small pieces of jewelry flying through the air.

Sun's eyes then widened as she heard a sound coming from the back room! The safe! But what was going on? Suddenly, both Haley and Leah ran out of the room, which was a good thing, seeing as the large safe came flying out of the room. In a flash of blue light, Sun transformed into her dragon form and flew up to the safe, catching it, and trying to keep it from slamming into the wall and out into the night.

"Sun, what's going on?" Haley asked as Leah rejoined her.

"I...I don't..." Sun grunted as whatever had hold of the safe threatened to throw Sun back against the wall where she would be squashed like an insect. "I...I don't kn...know, Haley!" Sun finally made her answer out. "D...Do you think...I coul...could get a little help, Leah?"

"Why me?" Leah asked. "I'm not strong enough..."

"Just try!" Sun replied. "Tha...That's all I c...can ask for!"

"Alright..." Leah said is a very small voice after glancing at Haley, then she rushed around the safe to where Sun was, but just as she put her hand on the safe, it flew up above both of their grips and smashed into the wall, leaving behind a large hole as it went off into the night. "Well, that can't be good..." Leah muttered.

"Haley!" Sun turned her attention to her student. "You have to go after that safe! It has very powerful magical artifacts inside! If it fell into the wrong hands..."

"Sun..." Haley cut her off. "Say no more. DRAGON UP!" Transforming into her dragon form, Haley lifted off of her feet and flew out the hole after the safe.

LINE BREAK

Lu Dog wandered along the area of Draco Island, the pie still in her mouth. She had been looking for one of the councilors, but so far she had had no luck. Lu was just about to give up, but then she heard panting as Fu and the Scottish Dragon rushed up to her, Fred Nerk following them. "Where is it?" Nerk asked. "Where is the dragon that fell over the ledge? Where?"

However, Lu Dog was not looking at Nerk, she was only looking at Fu Dog, just as the shar-pei gave her a look that screamed: DO IT NOW!

Just as Nerk looked toward Lu, the golden tossed the pie at the council member, the pie smacking him in his face. As the Scottish Dragon struggled not to laugh, Fu growled: "Lu Dog, how could you do that? I'm appalled!"

Lu Dog pretended to ignore the shar-pei and she walked over to Nerk, who was frantically getting the dough and cream off of his face. "I'm so sorry, Councilor Nerk!" Lu apologized sweetly. "I wasn't aiming for you, I was aiming for one of the dragon students. I would completely understand if you wanted to fire me from my job..."

But to the golden retriever's surprise, Nerk was completely ignoring her, and she understood why. Nerk's face was all red and his eyes were now watering. "MY FACE!" he shouted in agony. "IT BURNS! MY FACE!" Then, Nerk turned and rushed off, leaving Lu and Fu shocked as the Scottish Dragon burst into laughter.

"That wasn't funny!" Lu berated the dragon. "That could have hurt him!"

"No, it's just a harmless prank..." the Scottish Dragon told them as soon as he had calmed down. "I told you it was a special pie. It makes the victim's skin agitated. It's completely harmless and will wear off in a few hours..."

"Well, next time have her use something that won't hurt her victim, okay..." Fu growled.

The Scottish Dragon's eyes widened and he looked into his bag. "Well, there are only two things in here that will cause no physical harm." he said. "But seeing as they're pranks, they're bound to cause some emotional agony...So, how about this?" The Scottish Dragon then reached into the bag and pulled out a rather large water balloon.

"What does it do?" Lu asked.

"Why don't you take it and find out?"

LINE BREAK

Lu Dog trotted across the grass with the balloon held gently in her mouth, looking for someone to pull the prank on; all she knew was that it had to be a member of the council. What she didn't know was that Fu Dog and the Scottish Dragon were following her from a semi-far away distance.

Lu Dog sighed; there was no sign of any council member. This was a lot more frustrating than she thought it was going to be. Just when she thought she wasn't going to be able to find someone, she finally found Councilor Callum, sitting on the grass trying to meditate. He must have heard Lu's footsteps, for the English Dragon opened his eyes and smiled at her.

"Hello, Lu Dog..." he said warmly, but that was when Lu struck. She let the balloon out, and it broke on his face, water spilling down his face and onto his robes. His smile faded and he stood u[p quickly. "What was that for!"

"Don't you want to fire me?" Lu asked.

"It's not my decision..." Callum scowled. "But if it were my decision, you just might be!" Then, the English Dragon turned and stormed off. Lu's eyes widened and she looked down as Fu and the Scottish Dragon walked up behind her.

"Okay..." the Scottish Dragon said after a moment. "I didn't want to have you do this, but there is one more prank you could pull..."

LINE BREAK

A large hole was on the ground in a deserted area. A couple feet below the hole was a glowing green force that was about the size of a very small safe, which led even deeper into the hole; as the metal objects come flying to the area, were sucked onto; once the metal objects hit the green shield, the objects slowly sank into the hole under the force.

Looking down at the hole, the cloaked dragon laughed evilly as the thief stood behind him, pulling off her belt, which was made of metal. Then, the thief walked up to him as he spoke: "You are sure that the dragons keep it in a safe smaller than that trap?"

"Yes..."

The cloaked dragon laughed again. "This is my greatest plan ever!"

"Your plan?" the thief growled, frowning.

"Yes, my plan..." the cloaked dragon repeated as he looked back down at the objects being sucked into the hole and then pulled below the green trap. "Tonight, I shall finally have my prize..."

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

It had taken Haley a couple of minutes before she had found the escaping safe, but she had finally found it and was now following it, trying to see where it was headed. Suddenly, Haley gasped in surprise as the safe shot down to the ground below; Haley looked down and saw it heading for some green thing on the ground. But that was not what surprised her the most; what surprised her the most was who was standing at the foot of the hole as the safe started to get sucked into the hole: the dragon she though she and Spud had put down for good.

Slowly landing as far away as she could, Haley could hear the cloaked dragon laugh as his tail moved to a switch on the ground. Once it was switched off, all of the other metal items in the sky fell back down to the ground, and the cloaked dragon jumped into the hole after the safe. Haley was about to reveal herself, but before she could, she felt someone tapping on her shoulder. Slowly turning around, Haley's eyes widened in fear as she saw the thief pointing her gun at her. "So, you're the dragon that defeated him?" she asked. "Hey,!" she suddenly called over to the hole. "There's a dragon that wants to see you!" Then, the thief turned back to Haley and forced her to walk over to the hole, just as the cloaked dragon appeared out of the hole, struggling to lift the safe.

The cloaked dragon sighed with relief as he dropped the safe on the ground, and he looked up to see the thief return with Haley. "You survived..." was all Haley said. "How?"

"Of course I survived!" the cloaked dragon roared. "I'm too powerful to be slain that way..." Then, the dragon grabbed Haley's claws and growled: "Open the safe..."

Haley scowled as she yanked her hand free. "And if I say no?"

"Then I'll destroy you..." the thief said from behind, and Haley could feel the barrel of the gun against the back of her head.

"Fine..." Haley growled, and she bent down, entering the code on the safe. As soon as she entered it, she could hear a click, and she pulled open the door, where she could see several magical artifacts... "Give me the hourglass..." the cloaked dragon growled.

Haley stared into the safe, and she quickly caught sight of the hourglass, and right next to it was a metal helmet, the Helmet of Truth, Haley believed it was. "Well, what's taking so long?" she could hear the cloaked dragon's impatient voice from behind her.

Quickly making up her mind, Haley grabbed the Helmet of Truth and pulled out, swinging it right into the side of the thief's face before she could react. The thief stumbled briefly and dropped her gun before she fell backwards onto the ground. Haley could hear a roar of rage coming from behind her, and she could hear whistling wind as the cloaked dragon swung one of his claws at her.

Haley reacted quickly, and she flew out of the way, landing a couple feet away. The cloaked dragon growled and he lifted off his feet, flying over to her, landing as he tried to swipe furiously at her. Haley tried to avoid the dragon's attacks, but soon, she grunted as she found herself lying on her back as the cloaked dragon raised his claws into the air.

"Now..." he growled. "Now I slay you and take the hourglass for myself! It is over!"

Haley's eyes widened in fear as she saw the claw; frantically looking for something to save herself, Haley turned her head in both directions; the first time, she saw nothing, but on the second turn, she found all that she needed: in arm's reach was the thief's metal belt. Haley quickly reached out and grabbed it; once it was in her claws she shot up and wrapped it around the cloaked dragon's wrist just as he was bringing his claws down. The belt wrapped around his wrist, and as he just stared in surprise, Haley locked the belt before bringing up her tail and slamming it into his stomach, throwing him backwards on the ground on his back as she flew over to the hole. Finding the switch, she flipped it on, before getting in front of the safe, trying to hold it back with her strength. "Come on..." Haley grunted as she fought. "Not much longer..."

Haley then heard a panicked shout, and she looked up to see the cloaked dragon being sucked into the hole, along with the other metal objects, struggling futilely. Haley watched as the dragon was sucked into the hole, and she peeked into the hole as the dragon hit the green trap, slowly sinking under it seconds later. Relieved, Haley used her tail to flip the switch off, and she stood up, looking into the green trap, that was still there. The cloaked roared with rage, only it came out as rather muffled due to the "wall" he was behind, as he pounded at the green wall keeping him in.

LINE BREAK

Lu Dog stood nervously in the main hall beside Fu, as the Scottish Dragon applied glue to all of the seats belonging to the council members. The Scottish Dragon chuckled as he put the glue back into the bag. "Well, this is it..." he told the two dogs. "This is it. This will get you fired for sure."

"Yeah, but are you sure that it won't get her put away for a long time?" Fu asked.

"Oh, don't be joy killers!" The Scottish Dragon moaned. "Come on. We need to get out of her before the council members come in here. And that will be soon..." The Scottish Dragon then lifted off his feet and grabbed the two dogs, flying them out back just as the front doors opened and Councilor Fachtna, Ulixes, Callum, Greggy and Holly walked in, each walking over to their respective seats and sitting down.

Meanwhile, the Scottish Dragon landed on the roof, letting go of Fu and Lu. "Now stand back..." the Scottish Dragon said as he put his claws to the roof and started to saw away part of it. Just as it started to fall, the Scottish Dragon reached down and grabbed it. Lu and Fu both looked down at the room, both surprised to see that none of the council members hadn't noticed.

"We need to decide on the dates for our inspections of the dragons and their masters..." Fachtna was saying as he poured himself a cup of tea. "I was thinking about sometime next month."

"That sounds perfect..." Ulixes agreed. "Sounds good to me." Callum said. "No better time..." Greggy agreed.

"And what about you, Councilor?" Fachtna asked, looking right at Holly. Holly shrugged. "It's going to happen anyway, isn't it? It doesn't matter to me exactly when."

Fachtna just glared at Holly for a moment, but he then turned his attention back to the others. "Then it is settled..."

Back on the roof, the Scottish Dragon grinned as he reached into his bag and pulled out a large launching gun. "Watch this..." he smiled at the two dogs as he pointed the gun down at the councilors. Then, the dragon pulled the trigger, making the gun shoot out medium pizzas, which shot down and landed on each of the council member's heads.

Councilor Ulixes quickly reacted with rage; tearing the pizza off of her head, she looked up with a fire in her eyes that made the Scottish Dragon drop the launching gun and Fu and Lu both widen their eyes.

"GET DOWN HER NOW!" Ulixes roared.

LINE BREAK

Lu Dog found herself shaking violently as she stood next to Fu and the Scottish Dragon as they all stood in front of the Council. Fachtna faced before them as the others stood behind him; Greggy, Callum, Ulixes and even Holly were all scowling.

"Did you really think that you could get away with this?" Fachtna demanded as he stopped pacing, now looking each in the eyes. "Well, did you?"

"We weren't trying to get away with it..." Lu said slowly.

"Then what were you trying to do?" Fachtna seemed to be struggling to control his temper. "I have half a mind to throw you all in a prison cell!"

"No!" Lu suddenly shouted, and she found herself walking over to Fachtna. "Don't punish them; if you have to punish someone, punish me..."

"What were you thinking?" Lu could hear Holly ask from behind.

"I feel trapped..." Lu answered. "You're forcing me to do something that I don't want to do anymore. Something that I never wanted to do! And it isn't fair to Fu, either. I was trying to get you to fire me. I want to go home...to my family..."

"You should have thought of that before you tried to rob Sun Park's shop!" Ulixes declared coldly. "I thought it was made clear, dog, that you can either serve your time as an animal guardian, or rot in a prison cell. We were giving you the best option..."

"I was desperate for food!" the golden tried to defend herself. "That's all I wanted..."

"And why do you think that we should care?" Fachtna asked, and before Lu Dog could respond, he added: "All three of you go down to the cafeteria and wait there until I arrive. The rest of the Council and I must decide on your punishment."

"But..." Lu tried one more time.

"Go now..." Fachtna growled. Sighing sadly, both dogs and the Scottish Dragon turned and made their way out the door. While Lu Dog and the Scottish Dragon continued on their way, Fu Dog stopped as he heard the Council talking. Stopping abruptly, Fu Dog made his way to the side of the door and listened:

"You should have just threw them all in a cell..." Callum growled.

"We couldn't do that..." Fachtna responded.

"Why not?" Callum demanded. "It would teach them a lesson. They would learn to think twice about pulling a prank like that..."

"But that would get in the way with our job..." Fachtna told him.

"What job?"

"Our job..." Ulixes answered for Fachtna. "Our job is to make sure that Haley Long does not turn out like her brother."

"I fail to see how that has anything to do with-" Callum tried to say, but once again, Ulixes cut him off.

"Don't you get it?" Ulixes growled. "Jake Long turned into a traitor of the order! Councilor Fachtna and I are doing everything in our power to make sure that his sister does not follow in his paths. That means that there has to be some changes..."

"I don't follow..."

"Of course you don't!" Ulixes exclaimed. "Of course you don't follow! We have to make sure that there is nothing that will tempt the American Dragon. That is why we cannot throw that dog into a cell. She must be Dragon Long's animal guardian."

"You're not blaming the shar-pei for what happened?" Callum asked.

"Everyone who was an influence on Jake Long cannot be an influence on Haley's..." Ulixes stated dangerously. "The shar-pei had to go. Wouldn't you agree, Councilor Jennings?"

Fu Dog listened closely for the answer, and the shar-pei's eyes widened as he heard a very small and quiet "Yes..." from Holly.

"Holly, how could you?" Fu muttered to himself before he rushed off.

LINE BREAK

Haley grunted as she carried the safe back into Canal Street Electronics. "Careful now..." Sun told her as she held the door open for her pupil. Haley continued back into the room and set the safe down before she reverted to her human form and turned to face the wall, as Sun stepped up to it.

"I was going to wait for Lu and Fu Dog to get back..." Sun said. "...so they could help out..." But then she changed the subject. "Is the hourglass safe?"

"Why don't you see for yourself?" Haley smiled as she pulled open the safe and pulled out both the Ucrono and the Helmet of Truth. "Sorry, Sun..." she added. "The Helmet of truth got a little banged up."

Sun just stared at both of them for a minute before she smiled and took both of the artifacts. "That is okay, Haley..." Sun told her. "What truly matters is that the Ucrono Hourglass is safe. The Helmet of Truth can be repaired, which you can do while I fix the wall..."

If Haley had been smiling before, she wasn't anymore. "Aw man!" She couldn't help but moan out her brother's old catchphrase.

LINE BREAK

By the time Fu Dog returned to the cafeteria where Lu and the Scottish Dragon were waiting, he was panting. "Puppy!" he exclaimed, making Lu turn her head toward him. "You'll never guess what I just heard!"

"We're all in a lot of trouble?"

"No, I said you'd never guess..."

"Can this wait until we're back at the shop?" Lu asked.

"Um, can I be perfectly honest with you, puppy?" Fu asked, and after a stiff nod from the golden, he told her: "It's probably going to be a while until we get back to the shop..."

At first, Lu looked shocked, but then she nodded again. "Alright..." she caved. "What is it?"

"I heard that the council hired you for a specific reason!"

"Yeah, to punish me..."

"No!" Fu cut her off. "They want me out of the way so that Haley won't end up like Jake! That's the real reason they won't let go of you."

"So it's true..." Lu suddenly said quietly.

"You knew about this?" Fu asked, surprised. "You could have told me...or Sun or Haley for that matter!"

"No!" the golden snapped. "Haley told me that you have a bad habit of twisting stories around so that it makes you look like the hero of the mission."

Before Fu Dog could respond, the doors opened wide as Councilor Fachtna, Councilor Ulixes, and Greggy all walked inside. Ulixes grinned and the Scottish Dragon's eyes widened as he realized that she had his bag.

"Oh, this is going to be fun..." Ulixes taunted.

"Don't be too cruel to them..." Fachtna ordered as he turned and walked out the door, the doors closing behind him.

"Oh, we won't be too cruel to them..." Ulixes grinned again as she opened the bag, allowing Greggy and herself to pull something out. As they both chuckled, the three trouble makers moaned with anxiety as they waited. Then, Ulixes took out a pie, like the one that had been used on Nerk, and threw it at the three...

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: So, there's the episode. What do you think? I'm not fond of the ending, but I thought it would be important to show you all that pranksters will get their just desserts... :P**

**Please review...**


	10. Chapter 10

American Dragon: Haley Long (Season One)

Chapter/Episode 10: It's Halloween, Haley Long!

Haley sighed as she walked down the stairs from the roof and into the back room, where both Fu Dog and Lu Dog were sitting on the couch, looking bored. Haley made her way over to the couch and plopped down, releasing one more, longer sigh. "I hate Halloween..." she could hear Lu Dog whining.

Haley groaned as she heard Fu Dog say something; she was not in the mood to listen to the two dogs bicker. Fortunately, before the argument could really become annoying to Haley, the young American Dragon could see her dragon master, Korean Dragon Sun Park, enter the room.

"I need to get ready for tonight..." Sun told Haley as she walked over to the wall, right by the power switch on the wall.

"What for?" Haley asked. "Are you leaving tonight?"

"Of course not..." Sun answered as she pulled open the door that showed her all of the controls. "I just need to put up the force field. I hate Halloween; all of those kids think it's funny to harass the shop. So, I put up the shield..." Sun then put her hand to the button and pressed it, only to jump back with surprise as a spark came from the panel.

"Sun, what happened?" Haley jumped up from the couch, only to sit back down as Sun turned around, an annoyed look on her face.

"Lu Dog, did you do something?" Sun demanded calmly.

"No..." Lu said innocently, honestly.

Sun just looked at the golden and nodded, her gaze upon her softening, only hardening once again as she looked at the shar-pei sitting next to her. "Fu?" Fu Dog just stared back blankly at the Korean Dragon, as if he was trying to remember something...

_FLASHBACK_

_It was dark all throughout Canal Street Electronics. Lu Dog was sleeping peacefully on the couch while Fu was curled up on the seat of a small stool, which was placed right by the wall and the open electrical panel._

_The shar-pei moaned in his sleep as he tried to uncurl himself. There was this feeling inside of him, one that he thought was going to kill himself. He had to release himself from this pressure._

_Slowly getting up to his feet, Fu moaned with relief as he started to lift his hind leg..._

_END FLASHBACK_

Fu's eyes widened as he remembered what had happened, and he realized what he had done. As he stared at Sun, he found that the only thing he could do was laugh nervously. Sun's eyes widened in disgust as she took one more look at the panel. "Haley..." Sun said calmly, although Haley knew that her master was fighting the urge not to scream at Fu. "Take Lu Dog for a walk, and don't come back for a while. Don't question your dragon master, Haley..."

"Alright, Sun..." Haley said as Lu Dog hopped off of the couch and followed her out of the room.

LINE BREAK

A couple of seconds later, Haley exited the shop, holding Lu on her leash. The dragon and animal guardian started to walk down the sidewalk, when it finally happened. Sun Park uncharacteristically shouted: "FU DOG!", and then what followed, was an all too familiar series of rants, only in Korean.

BLACKOUT; PLAY THEME SONG

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Haley shivered slightly as she crossed the street, walking Lu Dog. The sun had been down for about an hour, and now lit pumpkins were the only things beside the street lights that were allowing people outside to see. Young kids were not out, going door-to door and were now getting candy. Lu Dog looked excited. "So, this is what Halloween is all about?" she asked.

"You didn't know what Halloween was about?" Haley asked, looking down at the dog.

"Of course not!" Lu barked back. "I'm a dog!"

Before Haley could respond, she suddenly screamed in surprise and jumped a couple of inches into the air before she whirled around, coming face-to-face with a chuckling girl who was wearing a long, white robe that looked like it was supposed to be the "body" of a ghost, but wore a hockey mask over her face with a tight black hood over her head, hiding her hair. "Happy Halloween, Haley..." the girl spoke as she removed the hockey mask.

"Hello, Leah..." Haley replied after a moment. "Did you really have to do that?"

"Well, Halloween is about scaring people, right?" Leah asked Haley. "Don't you think? Or do you think it's all about the candy?"

"The candy..." Haley replied slowly.

"Glad you think so!" Leah smiled at her. "Then I suppose you remember the plans we made for tonight? Trick-or-treating? I mean, we can get away with it; we're not too old. Other people in our class still do it..."

"Not the cool people..." a cruel female voice came from behind Leah. Haley groaned in annoyance, Lu growled and Leah turned around and they all stared at Sierra Tatlock, and her two cohorts, Olivia Mears and Dena Mahen. "Isn't that right, you two?" Sierra grinned cruelly.

"Don't you have some pumpkins to smash?" Haley growled as she stared at the girl's costume, which was a big, muscular dragon with sharp claws with fake droplets of blood on the tipe. There was a hood part of the costume, which showed the dragon's head (no doubt it was exaggerated and showed the stereotypical monstrous beast a dragon was seen as), but it was lowered so that Haley could see Sierra's just as (if not more) monstrous face. "Or perhaps some candy to steal?"

Olivia, who was dressed as a ballerina, laughed at Haley's comment, but Dena came to Sierra's defense. "Don't listen to the dragon, Sierra..."

Haley stared at Dena's costume, and she wasn't really surprised to see that her costume was merely her cheerleading uniform. "Original costume, Dena..." she rolled her eyes as she spoke sarcastically.

"Shut up!" Dena snapped, and then she mumbled: "It's the only time my mother won't see me as a..." But before Haley could hear what Dena was about to say, Olivia spoke up.

"Haley..." she said. "You'll never be as cool as us..."

"Now, not so fast, Olivia..." Sierra smiled at her friend. "They could be as cool as us. Do you want to be as cool as us?"

"Not really..." both Haley and Leah declared.

"Oh..." If Sierra looked shocked, she was able to hide it. "Alright then...Well, then I guess you don't want a Halloween adventure..."

"Not really..." Haley and Leah said in unison once more.

"Oh..." Sierra smiled again. "Well then, I guess you don't mind if we tell the entire school that you two girls are cowards who are afraid of a little haunted house..."

LINE BREAK

Fu Dog was still backed up against the wall in the back room of Canal Street Electronics after Sun had gotten mad at him. He must have had a very shocked look on his face, for when Sun re-entered the room, she froze when she saw the dog backed up. "You don't have to act like that anymore..." the Korean Dragon told him.

Fu Dog breathed a sigh of relief as he heard this, and he made his way over to Sun as she spoke again. "But you are going to do something for me, Fu..."

"Sure!" Fu offered. "Anything you want! I'll do it!"

"You're going to watch over to make sure that nobody vandalizes the shop..."

LINE BREAK

Sierra, Dena and Olivia all grinned cruelly as they approached an old building on top of a hill in the city. Sierra grinned as she turned her head and watched as Haley and Lu Dog slowly made their way up the hill, closely followed by Leah. Haley had an angry look on her face, while Leah looked exhausted. Haley turned her attention to Leah and shot her a nasty glare. "Are you sure you want to do this?" Haley asked. "Sun always taught me that-"

"I'm positive that I want to do this, Haley..." Leah told her before she turned to look at Sierra. "On one condition: You stop making fun of Haley..."

Sierra smiled slightly, while Dena and Olivia both looked shock. "I wouldn't have it any other way..." Sierra told Leah. "So, why don't you all go inside. I'll tell you what: I'll even get the door for you."

Sierra then turned, and, working with Olivia, pulled open a wooden door to the shack. The door creaked as it opened, and Haley could spot dust falling as it opened all the way. "Well, are you going to go inside?" Olivia smiled.

Haley and Leah both looked at each other before they started walking into the shack. As soon as the two girls and the golden retriever had stepped inside, Sierra stood in the doorway, smiling at them. "Well, for our deal to hold, you have to spend at least one hour inside..."

"You can still step out if you feel like a chicken..." Dena smiled in a mock sweet manner.

"I don't think so..." Haley growled after looking at Leah. Sierra chuckled as she grabbed hold of the door and slowly closed it shut. Then, the two girls and Lu were in darkness. Then, the room lit up as Haley blew a fireball into her hands. Haley looked around and groaned when she noticed how nervous Leah now looked. "Leah, don't tell me that you now think your idea was bad..."

"It was bad..." Leah mumbled quickly.

Haley groaned again at her friend. "I can't believe you!" Haley exclaimed.

LINE BREAK

Back outside the shack, Dena and Olivia looked at Sierra with shocked expressions. "You didn't really mean what you said..." Dena asked slowly. "...about leaving Haley alone, did you?"

"Of course not!" Sierra turned to face her friends again. "I just said that to get them to go inside..." Then, Sierra turned and started to walk down the hill. "Come on! They can spend the night in there for all I care..."

LINE BREAK

Back inside the shack, Leah gave a panicked sigh. "M...May...Mayb...Maybe it's not too late to get out of here..." As Leah spoke, Lu Dog looked down at the floor of the shack, hearing a creaking as she shifted her weight from one paw to the other. It was then that Leah bolted for the door.

"No!" Lu suddenly barked. "It can't stand that kind of weight!"

But it was too late. As Leah put her foot down on the floor, it caved in, and Leah screamed as she fell through. Haley and Lu Dog could only stare in shock as the entire floor started to give. Then, they too, fell...

BLACKOUT; CUT TO COMMERCIAL

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

More kids had come outside by the time Sun Park stepped out of the shop, followed by Fu Dog. Sun had been carrying a jacket, and she spoke as she slipped it on. "I'll be back as soon as I can. You can watched over here for a few hours, right?" Sun said "right" in a very accusatory manner, making Fu feel worried.

"Of course I can, Sun..." Fu replied. "You can count on me!"

"I don't doubt you, Fu..." Sun told him as she waved her arms, transforming into her dragon form. Then, she took off...

LINE BREAK

Haley groaned as she rolled over onto her stomach after she landed from her fall. It was even darker than it was in the shack before the floor caved in, and the only reason Haley knew Lu Dog was still beside her was because she could feel Lu's warm fur. "Leah?" Haley called as she sat up. "Leah, can you hear me?"

There was a beat before she could hear her friend. "Haley, where are you?" Leah asked.

"Don't worry..." Haley called, as she held her hands out, blowing a fireball into them. Once she could see, Haley sighed with relief as she saw Leah sitting in a corner on the other side. "Why don't you come over here?" Haley advised. Leah nodded quickly, and the girl scrambled over to Haley. "Well..." Haley continued. "It looks like we might be here for a while..."

"What about your dragon powers?" Lu asked. "I think now would be a good time to use them..."

"Alright..." Haley nodded, and she started to stand, but almost immediately, she fell back down with a scream of pain. "My leg!" Haley exclaimed. "It hurts!" As Haley sat back down, Leah panicked even more, and she was now shaking.

"Wh...What are we going t...to do n...no...now?" Leah asked.

"Well, I don't know about you..." Lu spoke, closing her eyes as she spoke. "But whenever I got scared, my brother Ru would tell me a story to help me calm down..."

"A story?" Leah asked. "How is that supposed to calm me down?"

"At least I'm trying to help!" Lu Dog barked. "Unlike you, who got us trapped in the first place!"

"Stop it!" Haley shouted, putting her arms out between the two. "Both of you! Getting at each other's throats won't help us!" Then, she took a deep as she tried to calm herself. "Alright, a story-I'll try..." Then, she smiled. "I've got one! It's a story my mom told me on the first Halloween after humans found out about magical creatures. Alright..."

"The humans were completely accepting of the magical creatures living amongst them..." Haley narrated. "In fact, one of the dragons got along well with a very important person...the mayor's son..."

_On the streets of New York, a teenage girl laughed as she sped on a skateboard next to a teenage boy. The girl had long brown hair that was tied behind her head in a ponytail; she looked strong for her age and wore baggy jeans and a pink tank-top. The boy on the other hand, had short blonde hair and wore a dress shirt and pants. When the girl saw that the boy was passing her, she grinned as two dark pink wings came out of her back; flapping her wings, the girl sped past him, and she stopped at the crosswalk, grinning as the boy met up with her. "I win!" she declared proudly._

_"Well done, Ally..." the boy smiled as he took off his helmet. "Although...I don't think it's fair that you used your dragon powers against someone who doesn't have powers..."_

"Whoa, hold on!" Leah suddenly piped, up, making Haley stop talking and turn her attention to her friend. "You said this was a Halloween story. How is this a Halloween story?"

"I was getting there..." Haley replied. "Anyway, everyone seemed to be happy with the way things were going. Well, not everyone..."

_As the two friends laughed, a woman watched from the roof of a nearby building. And when she saw the two shaking hands, she gagged with disgust, the woman turned around, only she was not a woman. She was actually a witch, with green skin and grey hair and black robes. The witch scowled as she walked over to a bubbling cauldron, with nothing next to it except a carved jack-o-lantern that was glowing with a fire on a candle. "How dare they?" the witch growled. "Well, I'll show them..." she added as she stood in front of her cauldron and started to stir. _

_"And how do you plan to do that?" a new voice asked. The witch turned her head and stared at the jack-o-lantern. "Well?" the voice came again, the light from the pumpkin's candle flashing green. The jack-o-lantern was talking to her._

_"You'll see..." the Witch told the jack-o-lantern. "I have a plan...a wonderful plan..."_

_"Wonderful like bringing me back?" the pumpkin spoke. "Then I know you will fail..."_

Haley stopped speaking, and she looked at Leah, who looked confused. "Her pumpkin could talk?" Leah asked. "How is that possible? And what was he saying? I'm so confused."

"Well, according to my mom..." Haley told her friend. "...the humans killed her warlock husband, or whatever he was. The witch placed all of her power and all of her spells into the pumpkin and was able to bring him back. But at a price...And if you want to know, I have to continue. Do you want to hear the rest of the story?"

"Yes..."

LINE BREAK

Fu Dog paced in front of Canal Street Electronics, an alert look on his face. He had to keep the shop safe. Sun was counting on him. "You know..." Fu stopped and talked to himself. "This actually isn't so bad. It's actually kind of easy..."

But unfortunately, the shar-pei had spoken too soon. Suddenly, something whizzed past Fu's head and splattered all over the wall of the shop. Looking at the mess, Fu could see that it was an egg; and then, hearing laughter, Fu turned his head to see a boy of about fifteen, who had a buzz-cut and a nose piercing who was wearing a completely black, skin-tight costume that had rubber bones in the front. "Yes!" the skeleton boy exclaimed as he turned around. "I did it! I egged the shop belonging to the dragon lady! Yes!"

Fu half expected to see a small group of his friends coming to congratulate him, because it sounded like he had just completed a dare. That was why the shar-pei was surprised to see the skeleton boy turn around and reach into a trick-or-treat bag he held in his hand. Before Fu knew what was going on, the skeleton boy threw something, and is shattered the front door.

"Hey!" Fu growled. "You can't do this, kid! This is vandalism! Stop it!"

"Oh, and some talking dog is gonna make me?" the punk kid smiled as he reached into bag and started to pull out something. "I've been wanting to do this for years, but that stupid shield was up! Now that it's not, no talking dog will stop me!"

LINE BREAK

"So..." Haley continued her story. "The Witch waited until Halloween to unleash her plan..."

_The Witch cackled as she pulled her ladle out of her cauldron. "That should just about do it..." She cackled again. "And now...humans and magical creatures shall never again get along again..." With one final cackle, the Witch pushed at her cauldron, stopping at the edge of the cauldron. "Yes..." the Witch chuckled evilly as she tipped the cauldron over, spilling the potion._

_The potion hovered in the air after it left the cauldron. After a couple of seconds, the potion evaporated in the air, leaving behind smoke, which was carried away by the wind. The Witch grinned._

_LINE BREAK_

_Meanwhile, Ally and the mayor's son were walking down the streets amongst a bunch of little kids in costumes. "I miss being a little kid..." Ally smiled at her friend. "And trick-or-treating...Do you, Mark?"_

_Her friend, Mark, turned his head toward her and shrugged. "I don't know..." he said honestly. "Being a teenager has its advantages as well, don't you think?"_

_"I guess..." Ally responded after a moment of thinking. Then, she turned her head to look at Mark, but that was when it happened. The smoke blew their way, and Mark, as well as all of the kids in the area just froze in place as they inhaled the smoke. "Mark..." Ally spoke, waving her hand in front of his face, up and down. "Mark, are you okay?" She asked. "Mark, what is-AAAHHHH!"_

_Ally suddenly let out a howl of pain as her body started to morph out of her control. Her screams stopping, Ally fell onto the ground; panting, Ally sat up, only to realize that she was in full dragon form. Ally looked at herself in shock; she did not have any idea how this had happened. But Ally was drawn from her shock when she heard groaning coming from all those around her. Staring in shock, Ally watched as all of the human started to come right for her. "What's going on?" Ally jumped up. "Please, just tell me!"_

_"You are no longer welcome here any longer..." Mark groaned, and Ally's eyes widened. "Get her! We'll force her to leave!" Mark added, and the next thing Ally knew, all of them were coming toward her. Her eyes widening even more, Ally lifted off of the ground and flew away, completely unaware of the Witch watching her from the roof of a house._

LINE BREAK

Fu growled as he watched the skeleton boy hold a hard rock in his hand. "Why don't you just leave, dog?" the punk smiled. "You don't want to get hurt, do you?"

"No, I think the better question is 'Do you want to get hurt?'" Fu growled back. "You should leave now..." The skeleton boy just stared at Fu for a moment before he growled, taking the rock in his hand and throwing it at the shop.

Thinking quickly, Fu jumped up just as the rock was by him. Fu lowered his head, lifting it up just in time, hitting the rock like a bat would hit a baseball. The rock went flying back to the skeleton boy and hit him of the forehead. The skeleton boy stumbled back, but he soon caught himself and growled. "You'll pay for that, mutt!" he roared.

Then, Fu Dog's eyes widened as he saw the skeleton boy coming right for him. Yelping, Fu turned his back and fled into the shop...

BLACKOUT: CUT TO COMMERCIAL

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Haley sat in the dark, cold hole back at the shack along with Lu Dog and Leah. Haley looked down at her hands and was surprised to see that the fire in her hands was slowly starting to die out. Sighing, Haley looked up at Leah, who looked rather scared now that the light was starting to go out. "So..." Haley spoke. "Should I finish the story before the fire goes out and we're trapped in the dark?"

"Oh, come on Haley..." Lu groaned. "We all know that you can just blow out another one..."

"Actually, I don't think I can..." Haley admitted. "I'm pretty tired. But I'll try to finish the story. Okay...Ally had fled..."

_Ally was panting by the time she got she got back to her house. Still in dragon form, Ally closed her front door and slid down so that she was sitting down. After catching her breath, Ally stood up and started to walk around the house. "Mom? Dad?" she called. "Where are you? I think we have a problem!"_

_Surprisingly, there was no answer, and Ally was starting to get worried. Ally was just about to go upstairs when she heard a pounding at her door. "Ally, come on out!" Mark called. Panicking, Ally turned and flew up the steps before closing the door to her room. Ally made her way to the window and slid it open, flying up to her roof. Ally walked over to the edge and looked down, now being able to see Mark and the other humans._

_Mark stopped his pounding at the door and stared up to her. Then, he spoke: "Build a ladder! We'll get to her!"_

_Ally's eyes widened in horror as the other humans started to climb onto each other, making a ladder of humans. Trying to look away from the inevitable, Ally looked beyond the ladder, only to gasp when she saw that more humans were coming toward her house. _

_"What is going on?" Ally asked, not expecting an answer. However, she soon found her answer in the form of a loud cackle in the night. The next thing Ally knew, a broom had landed on her roof, and an old witch got off of it. The Witch grinned at Ally, and as Ally got a better look at the witch, she could see that there was a jack-o-lantern in her hands._

_"Greetings, my child..." the Witch smiled at Ally, making the young dragon back up with fright._

_"What's going on?" Ally managed to make out._

_"It's okay, child..." the Witch spoke, her grin widening as she spoke. "It's just those nasty humans. They're nothing but trouble. They destroyed my husband, you know...They need to be stopped..."_

_"Stopped?"_

_"Destroyed, actually..." the jack-o-lantern spoke, and Ally just about fainted. _

_"I'm afraid my jack-o-lantern friend is right..." the Witch took another step toward Ally, making Ally take another step back. Ally's eyes suddenly widened even more as she realized where she was; throwing her head back, Ally could see that she was teetering on the side of the roof. Ally then turned her head back as she noticed a new presence on the roof; Ally could see Mark and rest of the humans now on the roof._

_"Quickly, child!" The Witch urged. "Now is not the time to play games! I must destroy them in order to save you from their wrath!"_

_Ally just stared at the Witch, and she suddenly growled. "You did this, didn't you?"_

LINE BREAK

Fu Dog scrambled into the shop, turning around the corner into the back room just as he heard the bell ringing as the door it was placed over opened. Then, the skeleton boy stormed into the shop. Fu hid behind a wall as he heard the boy growl: "Where are you, ya stupid dog?"

Fu then decided to try his luck; Fu could hear the dog tags attached to his collar jingling as he ran for the bookshelf on the other side of the room.

The skeleton boy must have heard Fu, for he turned and stormed into the room. "Don't think that I didn't hear that, ya mutt!" the boy growled, but it was too late; Fu Dog had jumped on top of the bookshelf.

Fu watched as the skeleton boy walked around the room, kicking things over and breaking other objects. "Where are you?" the boy growled again, then he turned and stared at the bookshelf; before Fu knew it, the boy looked up and their eyes met. "Well..." the boy smiled. "Maybe I'll just knock you down..."

The skeleton boy started to come over to the shelf, but he suddenly stopped as the front door of the shop opened, and Sun Park entered. "Fu?" she asked as she stepped into the room, and her eyes widened in surprise when she saw the boy.

That was when Fu Dog chose to act. Kicking his feet off of the wall, Fu jumped to the floor as the bookshelf tipped over. The skeleton boy looked up just in time to see it coming down on him, and then it was too late.

As the skeleton boy found his lower body pinned down by the shelf, Fu slowly made his way over to Sun, who appeared to not have recovered from the shock at the moment. "Fu..." she managed to say. "What just happened?"

"I was protecting the shop..." Fu responded, turning his attention to the skeleton boy as the punk tried to free himself from the shelf, only to give up and lie back down on the floor, panting heavily.

LINE BREAK

_"You did this, didn't you?" Ally asked once more as she stared at the Witch. "You did this! I know you did!"_

_"Of course I did it!" The Witch cackled. "I just couldn't sit back and watch the magical creatures of the world get along with humans!"_

_Ally found herself shaking her head. "No..." She begged. "You don't have to do this. Magical creatures and humans should get along! They may have destroyed your husband, but...are you really going to sink down to their level?"_

_The Witch just stared at her for a moment before she replied. "I'm a witch. What do you expect?"_

_"Well, I'm not going to let you..." Ally growled. "Change them back...or I'll make you do it..." To prove that she meant business, Ally put her claws up. "Please just make the right choice..."_

_"I already have..." The Witch cackled as she turned, staring right at the group of humans, more still climbing onto the roof. Holding up her sharp-nailed hands, the Witched aimed right for the humans. _

_"No!" Thinking quickly, Ally lifted off of the ground and slammed into the Witch before she could attack the humans. As the Witch fell forward, Ally grabbed hold of the jack-o-lantern and landed on the ground. The Witch groaned as she slowly stood, but then her eyes widened and she growled._

_"Give him back to me!" The Witch screeched. "Give them back! I'm powerless without him!"_

_"Good..."_

_"I guess you just don't get it, child..." the Witch stood her ground. "Without him, I cannot reverse the spell. Give him back to me..."_

_"If I give him back to you, will you reverse your spell?"_

_"I'll do whatever you want if you give him back to me..." Ally was surprised to find that there was no longer any desperation in the Witch's voice. "Fine..." Ally finally caved, tossing the pumpkin back to the Witch. The Witch smiled evilly as she caught the jack-o-lantern and held it in her hands._

_"Thank you, child..." she smiled. "But unfortunately, I lied!" The Witch then cackled once more as she held out one of her hands, which started to spark with a dark magic. "And now, you shall be destroyed as well!"_

_Ally's jaw dropped as the Witch's hands started to spark. Growling, Ally lifted off of the ground and slammed her tail into the Witch. The Witch screeched as she went flying backwards, her blast of dark magic hitting the roof of the house instead of Ally. Ally watched as the Witch slammed to the roof, her jack-o-lantern slipping from her hands and falling from the roof. Seconds later, Ally could hear a splat, and immediately afterward, the Witch let out an ear-splitting screech as she bolted into a sitting position. "My power!" She screeched. "I'm weak! AAHH!"_

_Ally then watched in horror as the Witch's green skin on her hands and face started to melt away, until the Witch was completely gone. The only remains were her black robes and her pointed hat, which also were gone as soon as the wind picked up; dragging them away._

_Ally turned her attention away from the destroyed witch when she heard groaning coming from the humans behind her. Reverting to her human form, Ally turned around to see that everyone there looked completely confused. Mark seemed to ask the question that was on everyone else's mind. "How did we get here?" Then he noticed his friend. "Ally?"_

_"I don't really think it matters..." Ally said as she walked up to him. "Let's just say that you had a very weird night..."_

_"Okay..." Mark didn't seem satisfied by this. "But will you tell me tomorrow?"_

_Ally stopped in her tracks, and she seemed to think about this. "Alright..." She finally agreed. "Tomorrow..."_

Haley finished telling the story and immediately realized that the fire in her hand was now nothing more than a faint flicker. However, Leah no longer seemed concerned by this. "So, what was the point of the story?" she asked.

"Well..." Haley decided to answer. "My mom told me that it meant that no matter how long it takes, people will always come around. She told me that humans will come to accept magical creatures. She just said it will take some time..."

LINE BREAK

Sun Park stepped out of Canal Street Electronics and into the cool night. She had no idea what had just happened inside while she was gone, and she had a feeling that she didn't want to know. Suddenly, she realized something. "Hey Fu..." she called, and in a moment, Fu Dog stepped out of the shop.

"Yeah, Sun?"

"Have you seen or heard from Haley and Lu?"

"No..."

Sun nodded as Fu Dog walked back inside of the shop. Reaching into the pocket of her coat, Sun pulled out her communication device...

LINE BREAK

Back in the shack, Haley, Leah and Lu Dog all stared at the fire in Haley's hands as it slowly died away. "How long do you think it will take for investigators to find our remains?" Leah suddenly asked, only to get a look from both Haley and Lu. "What? It's possible..."

"We aren't going to be trapped down here forever..." Haley told her, but even she was struggling to keep the fear out of her tone. "We'll find a way to get out of here..."

"How?" Lu asked. "Your leg is hurt!" But before Lu could continue, everyone nearly jumped as a ringing came from Haley's pocket. Switching the fire to one hand, Haley reached into her pocket and pulled out her communication device, making Lu and Leah groan.

"You had your communication device the whole time?" Lu moaned.

"Shh!" Haley snapped as she pressed a button, making Sun's holographic head appear. "Sun!" She continued. "You'll never guess where we are..."

LINE BREAK

Not much time had passed from the time that Sun had come to the rescue. Now, Haley sat on the couch next to Lu Dog in the back room of Canal Street Electronics as Sun bandaged her leg. "How does that feel?" Sun asked as she stood up.

"Better..." Haley answered, only to realize that Fu Dog was cleaning the shop; he had a duster in his mouth. "Fu, what are you doing?"

"Well, Fu made kind of a mess tonight..." Sun answered with a small smile on her face, which made the shar-pei spit out the duster in his mouth.

"Hey!" Fu exclaimed. "I was trying to protect the place! Show a dog a little gratitude!"

"You know, Fu..." Haley smiled. "I've never seen you clean before..."

"Yeah..." Fu grabbed hold of the duster in his mouth once again. "First and last time..."

LINE BREAK

Meanwhile, Sierra, Olivia and Dena walked back up the hill and stared at the shack in front of them. "Well, I guess it's time for us to let them out..." Dena spoke.

"We don't have to do anything we don't want to..." Olivia countered as she crossed her arms.

"Would you two just be quiet?" Sierra growled. "Let's just open the door and then leave. That way, we don't have to pretend to keep our promise. C'mon..." The three girls then walked over to the door and pulled it open. "Now we can go..." Sierra said as she turned around, but as she turned, she slipped on the ledge between the hole and the ground. Sierra screeched as she fell, and she reached out and grabbed Olivia, who as she fell back, grabbed hold of Dena. All three of the girls rolled down into the hole.

Coughing, Sierra sat up as she looked around the hole. "H...How are we going to get out of here?" Dena asked as she and Olivia picked themselves up.

Sierra crossed her arms. "How am I supposed to know? I don't have my communication device to call for help. Do either of you?"

"Does it look like we have pockets?" both Olivia and Dena responded.

Sierra groaned as she realized what had just happened. "Great...We're stuck..."

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed this chapter/episode. Personally, I don't care for this one that much. But, maybe you like it. Please review and tell me what you think. **


	11. Chapter 11

American Dragon: Haley Long (Season One)

Chapter/Episode 11: Trials of Distrust

On the Island of Draco, Councilor Fachtna sat in the main hall, all alone at the main desk, thinking things over. Suddenly, the doors opened, and Councilor Ulixes and Fred Nerk walked into the room. All three of the council members walked over to Fachtna, and the head of the Council looked up. "I have been thinking..." he said. "I have been thinking...about the position magical creatures are in. I have been trying and failing to get humans and magical creatures to get along..." Fachtna stood up. "...for far too long. But I think I may have a solution after all this time."

"What have you decided?" Nerk asked.

"I have decided that this weekend..." Fachtna reported. "...We shall select five teenaged dragon students and have them each find a peaceful solution to the problem we assign them. The one who fixes the problem the fastest and who has the best solution will be rewarded..."

"And do you have any idea who will compete?" Nerk asked.

"That is what Ulixes and I will discuss together..." Fachtna replied. "Councilor Nerk, you are dismissed..."

Ulixes smiled as Nerk left the room, and then she walked over to Fachtna. "All I know is that I want Haley Long to compete..." Fachtna told her. "This way, we will be able to test that golden retriever. Will she lead Dragon Long down the same path as her brother, or will she lead her down the path that we have been striving for?"

BLACKOUT; PLAY THEME SONG

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Lu and Fu Dog both sat on the couch in the back room of Canal Street Electronics. While Fu Dog was fast asleep and snoring, Lu Dog was wide awake, and she looked depressed. Suddenly, Sun Park entered the room, and she was carrying a suitcase. "Lu Dog..." Sun said with a rather excited look on her face. "I have rather exciting news! The Dragon Council has hand selected Haley to take part in a competition. Isn't that groovy?"

"I guess..." Lu answered sadly. "Do I have to go? Because I don't feel like it..."

"Of course you have to go..." Sun crossed her arms and now had a stern look on her face. "This is not just a test of Haley's skills as a dragon, but your skills as an animal guardian..."

As if on cue, Fu Dog lifted his eyes, now wide awake. "Who needs an animal guardian?" he asked. "I'm an animal guardian!" But then, after blinking a few times and shaking his head, Fu Dog realized exactly where he was. "Oh..." Fu realized. "I didn't mean that...What's going on?"

"Apparently, Haley's going to be tested on the Island of Draco..." Lu answered the shar-pei. "Which means only one thing for me..."

"Can I go?" Fu asked.

"No..." Sun crossed her arms and scowled at the shar-pei. "If you don't remember, I'll tell you why you can't go. You were banned for life from the Island of Draco because of all the mischief you and Lu Dog caused the last time you went there."

"Well..." Fu tried to think of a way to justify what he did, but he could only come up one thing: "Well, the puppy wasn't banned for life..."

"Lu Dog is an animal guardian..." Sun replied as she turned and walked over to the bookshelf, taking out a book and walking back over to her suitcase and putting it in.

"Besides..." Lu Dog spoke. "I think that's my punishment. I would love to be banned from the Council for life."

LINE BREAK

The next morning, Haley entered the shop holding one suitcase, just as Sun exited the back room. "Sun..." Haley asked. "Do you think this is too much to bring?"

"You're fine, Haley." Sun assured her, then she turned her head and called: "Lu, do you have your leash on yet?" Haley could hear jingling coming from the next room, and the next thing Haley knew, Lu dog trotted into the room, her leash trailing behind her. "Haley, do you mind taking Lu Dog?" Sun asked. "There is one thing I need to take care of..."

LINE BREAK

Fu Dog sat on the couch in the back room, just staring at Sun's suitcase. As he heard Sun's footsteps, he quickly made up his mind.

Fu jumped off of the couch and rushed over to the suitcase, jumping inside just as Sun Park entered the room. Sun eyed the suitcase and walked over to it; not noticing the dog inside, Sun closed the suitcase and picked it up, walking out of the room.

LINE BREAK

The enchanted elevator popped up from below the grass, and the doors slid open. Haley, Lu and Fu Dog slowly staggered out, while Sun stepped out unfazed and carrying the suitcases. "Come on, Haley." Sun told them as they continued on down the grass until they could see a group of five dragons. Haley was still a little dizzy, and before she knew it, she found herself bumping into another person. "Hey, watch it!" the person shouted in a male voice.

Haley immediately jumped back, and she could see a myrtle-colored colored dragon scowling at her. Upon getting a better look at him, Haley could see that the dragon was muscular and strong. He had a buzz-cut and had an owl perched on his shoulder. "Watch where you're going..." the dragon growled.

"I'm sorry..." Haley tried to apologize.

"You're not sorry...at least not yet..." the dragon narrowed his eyes at her. "But you will be...when I win this contest..." Then, the dragon turned and left her. Haley was shocked, but she managed to look down, where she found Lu Dog beside her.

"Well, he was rude..." the dog spoke.

LINE BREAK

A few minutes later, Sun, Haley and Lu Dog all entered the main hall, where Haley immediately caught sight of the myrtle dragon with owl on his shoulder; he appeared to be talking to it. Haley then turned her attention to the rest of the dragons in the room, all spread apart: a female cool grey dragon with short black hair was sitting a tortoiseshell cat. Not too far away, a desert sand-colored dragon with no hair stood next to a small fox, and fast asleep was a female emerald dragon with dyed blue shoulder-length hair, with a raccoon sitting beside her. Three older dragons sat at the main desk in the room.

"So, this is the competition?" Lu asked.

"What, do you want to win?" Haley smiled down at the dog.

"Haley..." Sun told her pupil. "It isn't about winning, it's about trying your best. You should know that by now...Now, I'm going to join the other masters." Then, Sun turned and walked over to the table. Just as she sat down, the main doors opened and Fachtna, Ulixes, Nerk, Callum and Holly all walked into the room, all making their way to the front of the room.

As soon as the five councilors had made their way to the middle of the room, Fachtna held out his hands, signaling that the dragons give him their attention. "Welcome, dragons..." he spoke. "...and congratulations on being the five that were selected for this tournament. Each of you are going to be assigned an issue between our kind and humans, an issue which has been bothering the world for some time. You will be given one hour to come up with a solution, and then you will go and use that solution. The one who solves their problem in the least amount of time and with the best solution, shall be rewarded...Now, Councilor Nerk, do you mind continuing?"

"Certainly not, sir..." Nerk said respectfully as he walked behind the desk that the masters were sitting at; reaching over Sun's shoulder, Nerk pressed a button on a control panel, revealing a large screen. "Councilor Fachtna and your masters will all be watching you on this screen, while we watch after the one of you that we have been assigned. Your masters will be using what they see to decide on how to change your training..."

"Excellent, Councilor Nerk!" Fachtna cut him off. "Now...each of us will call you by your names and we will assign you your assignment. Councilor Jennings, why don't you start?"

Holly nodded slowly before she spoke: "Brent Agro, The New Zealand Dragon..." As Holly, spoke, the myrtle-colored dragon walked over to Holly, and Holly handed him a rolled up piece of paper.

"Alejandro Famosa, the Cuban Dragon..." Callum called, and the desert sand-colored dragon walked up to him. Once again, the councilor handed the dragon a scroll.

"Amanda Annelie, the German Dragon..." Nerk called, making the emerald dragon walk over to him. Yet again, the dragon was given a scroll of paper.

"Siti Chan, the Dragon of Singapore..." Fachtna said, and the nervous looking cool grey dragon approached him. Before Haley could see Fachtna handing Siti the scroll, she could hear Councilor Ulixes: "Haley Long, The American Dragon..."

Sighing, Haley walked over to Ulixes, who was already handing out the scroll for her. "You'll find your assignment on this scroll, Dragon Long..." Ulixes told her, but then she smiled at Haley; a smile that made Haley feel uncomfortable. "Good luck, Dragon Long..."

LINE BREAK

The myrtle-colored dragon, Brent Agro smiled as he stepped out of the main hall and made his way to the cafeteria. Closing the doors behind him, he turned his head to the owl on his shoulder. "Zagger, get my bag..." he ordered.

"Yes, master..." the owl lifted off of his shoulder and flew off. Agro then walked over to the table and sat down, drumming his claws on the table, until his own came back, dropping the dragon's suitcase on the table. "That thing's heavy!" Zagger exclaimed. "What's in there anyway?"

Agro did not respond; instead, he just opened the suitcase, revealing a large barrel with a very small handle at the bottom that had an even smaller trigger. "This is the perfect opportunity for me...to finally become the only dragon in the world..."

"What?" Zagger asked. "Are you kidding me?"

Agro chuckled: "Of course I'm serious..."

"But it's not possible..." Zagger replied. "There are too many dragons in the world..."

"Well, I can deal with that later..." Agro reached into the suitcase and pulled out a glowing blue rock. "You see, one the four others are done for, the Council will bestow upon me the prize. That is when I will strike. Then, the rest of the dragons will gradually fall..."

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Meanwhile, Haley entered a guest room with a bed and other luxury items along with Lu Dog. Closing the door behind her, Haley walked over to the bed and sat down. "Well, are you going to open it?" Lu Dog asked.

"Just give me a second!" Haley replied as she stared at the scroll, not being able to do anything else. She couldn't help it. She was nervous. Finally, Haley managed to overcome her nerves; putting the scroll down on the bed and untying it, looking at the paper.

"Well, what are we doing?" Lu Dog asked. But Haley didn't answer. She could only stare at the paper.

LINE BREAK

About an hour later, Haley and Lu Dog stepped out onto the grass, where Councilor Ulixes, Councilor Callum, Nerk and Holly were all standing in front of Brent, Siti, Amanda and Alejandro. "Councilor Fachtna is already watching you, as we will be watching you once you take off..." Ulixes said once she spotted Haley. "Now, take off!"

The next thing Haley knew, all of the dragons had taken off into the air. Quickly getting down on all fours, Haley motioned for Lu to get on her back. As soon as the golden had jumped on, Haley flapped her wings and took off. "Wait..." Lu Dog spoke as soon as they were high enough in the air. "You never did tell me what our assignment is..."

"Take a look for yourself..." Haley handed her the piece of paper. Lu Dog took the paper in her mouth and then set it down, putting her paw on it to keep it from blowing away. Then, the dog's eyes widened.

"They want us to do that?" Lu asked. "They actually want us to do that?"

"Yes..."

"They actually want us to rescue some human from an armed group of mountain goblins?" Lu asked again. "Do they think we have a death wish?"

LINE BREAK

Zagger flew in the air side by side to Agro, who was looking at the paper he had been given. After a moment, Agro crumpled the paper and dropped it. "Forget the assignment!" he declared. "We're going to do things my way..."

"And what is your way?" Zagger asked.

"Well, let's just say that it will only take me about thirty seconds to solve my problem..." Agro smiled. "Then, I'll use these rocks..." he extended his claws to show his animal guardian that he was holding a handful of the blue rocks. "...to rally up the other dragons. Then, they'll die..."

"Well, what's your problem?"

"It seems that a bunch of leprechauns lost their gold and now have dollar bills instead..." Agro smiled evilly. "I'm supposed get their gold back..." Then, before Zagger could even blink, Agro swooped down and landed on the roof of a large house. Zagger soon found out why: the leprechauns were not far away. Before Zagger could land as well, he could see that Agro had reverted to his human form, and was now aiming right for the leprechauns.

"No..." Zagger could only say. The next thing the owl knew, he was swooping down, and he hit the weapon, just as it fired...

LINE BREAK

Sun Park's suitcase had been placed in Haley's quarters, and since Haley was gone, no one could now hear the thumping going on from inside. After three thumps coming from the inside, the suitcase burst open, and Fu Dog, who was gasping for breath, jumped out. After catching his breath, Fu turned and walked over to the door. Pushing it open, Fu rushed out into the hall and ran down it, only to stop and back up, hiding behind a corner as two dragons walked by. Fu could not be seen.

As soon as the dragons had gone, Fu Dog removed himself from his hiding place, bursting through the doors and onto the grass. "Now where is she?" Fu asked himself as he searched around the area. Finally, he found her...Holly was walking across the ground, holding a device in her hands, allowing her to see the leprechauns, but no New Zealand Dragon.

"Where is he?" Holly wondered to no one in particular.

"Holly!" Fu suddenly called as he rushed up to her. Fu's voice made Holly turn her head to him in shock, drawing her from her device, just as the blast from the weapon struck to the side of the leprechauns, causing an explosion and making the leprechauns scatter in fear.

"Fu Dog?" Holly asked. "Wh...What are you doing here?"

LINE BREAK

Agro stared in shock at the scattering leprechauns. Then, once he recovered from the shock, he looked down at the weapon that was in his hands, and then he turned to look at the owl at his side. "What...did...you...just...do?" Argo demanded dangerously.

"I'm sorry..." the owl pleaded. "I couldn't let you do it! I'm sorry! Please, just don't hurt me!"

"Get out of here!" Argo growled, transforming into his dragon form once again. "If I ever see you again..."

"Yes, I'm sorry..." the owl replied. "You'll never see me again..." The owl then flapped his wings and flew off, while Argo growled, starting to seethe.

LINE BREAK

"Fu, what are you doing here?" Holly demanded. She had just recovered from her shock, and now Fu could tell that the council member did not look very happy. "You know better than this, Fu. You've been banned for life. What are you doing here?"

"I think a better question is 'Why did you defend the Council and say that Haley turning out like Jake is a bad thing'?" Fu growled. "How can you say that? Jake was your friend! Rose was your friend! You were there! You know that Rose didn't have any other choice!"

"Fu Dog!" Holly snapped, and Fu could tell by the look on her face that Holly looked both annoyed and ashamed. "Would you just shut up? Yes, Jake and Rose are my friends, and yes, I know! But, I don't have any other choice! Since Jake was my friend, the rest of the Council will blame me if Haley turns out like her brother! Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to look after Dragon Argo..."

Holly then started to lift up her device, but as she did, Fu's eyes widened in realization, and he spoke: "It wouldn't be your fault, and they'd be wrong to blame you. You're not happy here, are you?"

"I haven't been happy since the day TJ died..." Holly lowered both her head and the device.

"Then why don't you leave the Council?"

"I could never do that, Fu..." Holly replied softly. "All my brother wanted for me was to follow my dreams. And here I am..."

"It's not what you thought it would be like, is it?"

"No..." Holly answered. "But my brother would be so proud of me...I can't do it..."

"Holly..."

"Fu, you should go..." Holly said sadly. "If Fachtna or Ulixes catches us, we'll both be in trouble..."

Fu just found himself nodding as he turned and slowly walking away. "Well, I can't force you out of the order..." the shar-pei said quietly. "...but just don't let it cloud your judgment of wrong and right..."

As soon as Fu Dog was out of Holly's sight, Holly turned and looked at her device, only to find that the leprechauns were gone. "What the-?" Holly started to say, but before she could finish, there was a flapping noise as Agro's owl animal guardian landed in front of her.

"Councilor Jennings..." Zagger spoke. "We have a problem!"

LINE BREAK

In an unknown part of Manhattan, a group of giants were roaming down the streets, flipping cars over and smashing windows. On the roof of an old building, the emerald dragon, Amanda, and her raccoon were hiding. "Alright, Asterix, are you ready?" she spoke in a thick German accent. "Do you remember the plan?"

"Yes..." the raccoon, Asterix, spoke in an al thick accent. "I distract them while you attack..." Then, Asterix jumped down from the roof, but before he could do anything else, something hit the ground, causing an explosion. The next thing the raccoon and the German Dragon knew, the giants were running away. Asterix looked up at his master as she joined his side. "What just happened?" he asked.

"I don't know..." Amanda answered, but she soon got her answer. She could soon hear a loud laughter, and the next thing she knew, Argo had landed right in front of her. Amanda frowned, and she crossed her arms. "What do you want, Dragon Argo?"

Argo did not answer; instead, he tossed something onto the ground, and looking at it, Amanda and Asterix could see that it was a rock. In the blink of an eye, a blue light shot out of the rock and consumed the dragon and her animal guardian. In another blink of an eye, they were gone, and Argo walked over to the rock and picked it up. Looking into the rock, Argo could see that the two were trapped inside; Amanda was pounding on the wall of her prison. Argo chuckled as he stared at them. "One down...three to go..."

LINE BREAK

Meanwhile, the Dragon of Cuba, Alejandro Famosa flew in the air, his animal guardian fox on his back. The fox was looking at a map, and he looked at the dragon he was on. "Any sign of the street we're supposed to be on?" Alejandro asked him. "Are we close?"

"Well..." the fox answered. "The street is right down there, but are you sure we aren't cheating by doing this?"

"Please, Claret..." Alejandro replied. "I seriously doubt it, and even if it is cheating, I don't care. I want to win the prize. Now let's go..." Then, the Cuban Dragon swooped down and landed on the ground. "Wait..." Alejandro asked. "Where is it?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Claret asked.

"You did read the map correctly, didn't you?"

"Of course I did..." Claret responded, but before a fight could break out, they heard a grunting, and the next thing either of them knew, a cool grey dragon and cat were thrown into sight and onto the ground. Both quickly got up.

"We just want to help!" Siti Chan declared, but both Siti and her animal guardian turned around when they saw the two others. Alejandro scowled as he looked down at his paper with his assignment on it.

"What do you think you're doing?" Alejandro demanded.

"We're solving our problem!" Her cat answered. "A dragon is afraid to come outside because humans taunt her..."

"That's our assignment..." Claret growled.

"No it's not!" Both the cat and the Singapore Dragon declared. "And I can prove it!" Siti furthered as she handed the Cuban Dragon her paper. Alejandro looked at it, and his eyes widened. "This can't be!" He stuttered. "This was my assignment!"

"Maybe it was a mistake..." Claret suggested.

Both Alejandro and Siti were about to respond, but before they could, they could all hear an evil laugh, and the next thing anyone knew, all four of them were gone in a flash of blue light as a blue stone was dropped onto the ground...

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Flapping wings could be heard as a medium sized pink dragon landed in the middle of the street. Lu Dog jumped down from Haley's back and she stared up to Haley. "So, how do you intend to find the person who was taken?" she asked.

"Just give me a second to think!" Haley demanded, and after thinking about it for a couple of seconds, she smiled. "I've got it! Ear of the dragon!"

Lu Dog watched with wonder as Haley closed her eyes and relaxed, and the next thing the dog saw Haley's ear twitching, and she knew that Haley was picking up on some sounds. Haley then smiled as she opened her eyes and lowered herself onto all fours. "Come on, Lu Dog!"

LINE BREAK

Lu Dog squinted her eyes in order to protect them from the wind, due to how fast Haley was going. They had been flying for a couple of minutes, and before Lu knew it, Haley had landed in a dark alley right in front of an old building. Lu's ears perked up, and she could hear laughing. "This is it, Lu..." Haley told her animal guardian. "Hold on tight..."

Lu Dog nodded, doing as Haley commanded as Haley rushed for the door, slamming her tail into it, making it splinter into millions of pieces. Haley landed on the ground and Lu Dog hopped off, ready for a fight, but all they got was a group of trolls staring at them.

"Aaahhh! Dragon!" one of them shouted, and the next thing the American Dragon and her animal guardian knew, the trolls were all fleeing; both Haley and Lu moved to the side as the trolls ran out of the door.

"Well..." Lu spoke as soon as they were all gone. "That was certainly strange..." But Haley wasn't paying attention; instead, she rushed over to the human, lying weakly on the floor. "You're okay..." Haley spoke to him as she slowly sat him up. The human just stared at her with a blank expression on his face as Haley spoke again: "You're going to be okay..."

"Oh, I hardly see how that's going to be possible..." Haley jerked her head towards the door where she saw Agro standing. Lu Dog slowly backed up over to Haley as Agro threw something to the ground, and right before Haley's eyes, a blue portal opened up from the item on the ground, and the next thing Haley knew, Alejandro, Siti and Amanda were all being "spat" out, followed by their animal guardians. All six of them slammed against the floor, sitting up, just as Agro pointed his weapon at them.

"Now I've got you right where I want you..."

LINE BREAK

Holly quickly made her way to the main hall, Zagger flying right behind her. But as the view to the main hall came more into focus for Holly, she screeched to a halt, as she found that the rest of the Council and all of the masters were all outside. Holly could feel her heart pounding against her chest as she saw Councilor Ulixes transform into her dragon form and then shoot over to her; Ulixes landed right in front of Holly before the young councilor could even blink. Ulixes then brought her tail up and wrapped it around Zagger's neck.

Holly then gasped as Ulixes flew up into the air, grabbing her by her robes as Ulixes lifted off the ground, tossing both Holly and the owl over to the rest of the Council. The owl managed to stop his roll across the grass, but Holly rolled until she stopped at Fachtna's feet. Ulixes landed right behind Holly, and she roared: "What have you done? The dragons have been attacked! Now, they've probably been destroyed!"

"I know..." Holly said as she pulled herself up to her feet. "That's why I was heading down here..."

"Why didn't you do anything?" Ulixes demanded.

"Now Councilor..." Fachtna held out one hand to silence Ulixes. "It was not Councilor Jennings' fault. There was nothing that she could have done. All we can do is hope that the dragons are fine..."

"Well, then what should we do with the owl?" Ulixes growled, and Fachtna stared at the owl.

"Nothing..." Fachtna replied. "He did nothing wrong..."

LINE BREAK

Haley and the other dragons could only stare at the dragon who was pointing the weapon at them. "Well..." Agro said. "Any last words?"

"You're not going to get away with this..." Amanda growled.

"You'd be surprised..." Agro smiled. "Besides, it doesn't matter. Soon, I'll be the only dragon in existence..."

Haley could only stare in shock, so she was completely shocked to hear growls coming from all three of the other dragons, and the next thing she knew, they all flew at the New Zealand Dragon, all three of them slammed their tails into him; Siti and Amanda flew after him, while Alejandro landed and turned to Haley. "What are you waiting for, Long?" he asked. "Are you a dragon are not?"

Hearing this, Haley quickly got over her shock, and she looked down at Lu Dog. "Lu, you stay here..." Lu Dog nodded as Haley lifted off of the ground and flew out of the door, where Sitti and Amanda were holding onto Argo's arms. Argo struggled against the grips of the two dragons, but as he struggled, his weapon started to slip from his grip.

"A little help would be nice!" Siti turned her head and called out for the other two to help her. Both Alejandro and Haley attacked the New Zealand Dragon; Alejandro wrapping his tail around Argo's neck while Haley slammed her tail into his hand, making him drop the weapon. As the weapon fell, Agro roared with rage, and he tensed, forcing his arm that Amanda was holding onto sideways, making Amanda smash into Alejandro, who then slammed into Siti.

With the three dragons distracted, Agro jumped back and slammed his tail into them, sending them over to Haley. Haley grunted as the three crashed into her, and a second later, all four dragons fell to the ground in a heap. Agro chuckled as he bent over and picked up his weapon. "It was a nice try..." he commented as he aimed his weapon. "But it wasn't good enough. Now, you perish..."

Haley could hear the weapon firing up, but she knew there was nothing she could do. Even if she and the other dragons could get up, it would still be too late. Haley could hear Agro laughing evilly, and she could start to see the start of a fireball coming out of it, but suddenly, Lu Dog leapt over the dragons on the ground and landed, biting down on Agro's ankle. Roaring in pain, Agro's arm extended, making the fireball fire at the wall of the building, causing an explosion. Haley and the other dragons jumped up and shielded themselves with their wings, until the dust cleared, when Haley rushed over to Lu, while the other animal guardians met up with their masters.

"Lu..." Haley smiled as she patted the golden's head. "You can't possibly imagine how happy I am that you decided to disobey me..." Then, Haley looked up into the air, and she could see that Agro was fleeing. Haley grabbed Lu Dog in her claws and placed her on her back as she turned to the others. "We have to go after him!"

"You think we don't know that?" Amanda asked. "Let's go!" As soon as the animal guardians were on their backs, all four of the dragons took off into the air, going after the dragon that had tried to kill them.

LINE BREAK

Back on the Island Of Draco, Councilor Fachtna, Councilor Ulixes, Councilor Callum, Fred Nerk, Holly, Sun, Zagger and the other masters were all standing on the grass waiting. Ulixes scowled as she looked at Holly, but then smiled cruelly as she looked at Fachtna. "If they're all dead, can we blame Councilor Jennings?" she asked him.

"I'm sure they're all fine..." was all Fachtna said.

"Look!" Councilor Callum suddenly pointed up at an object in the air; the object was moving, and as it landed, everyone could see that it was Agro.

"I'm here to collect my prize..." Agro stated proudly, but then he caught sight of his animal guardian standing right at Fachtna's feet. Agro's eyes widened and he clenched his teeth as Fachtna took a step forward.

"We are perfectly aware of what you were planning..." he stated. "Thanks to your guardian. Now, we will be more than happy to take you to the dungeon where we will give you your prize..."

Agro took a step back, anger flashing through his eyes. "TRAITOR!" He roared, and then he jumped from his feet, flying over to Zagger with his claws ready to tear into him. But before he could even move an inch, a blast of fire hit the grass in front of him. As Haley, Amanda, Siti and Alejandro landed right on the grass, Agro reared back, his eyes wide.

"It's over!" Haley growled. "You're outnumbered!"

Agro just stared at the four other dragons, and Haley grinned when she realized that he was sweating. But still, he was defiant. "If you think I'm going to surrender, then you're dead wrong!" he roared, just as he leapt from his feet and flew toward the four dragons. Haley reacted quickly and hovered in the air, slamming her tail into him. Agro grunted as he flew backwards, hitting the grass and rolling until he reached the ledge of the island, leading to a hundred foot drop.

Agro groaned as he slowly started to lift himself up, only to realize that the four dragons were heading toward him. Agro started to panic and look for something he could use to defend himself with. He could not be captured. Finally, his eyes found the perfect tool: lying right by him, most likely falling from his person, was one of his blue rocks. Quickly picking it up, Agro threw it at the dragons; the rock landed on the ground, but the dragons simply flew over it.

"NO!" Agro cursed himself as the four dragons landed a couple of feet from him; as Agro panicked, the four dragons looked at each other and grinned before they released four balls of fire. In mid-air, the fireballs conjoined as they travelled over to Agro, hitting him. Haley and the others watched as Agro howled in pain as he was thrown from the ledge, his body set aflame. Haley, Amanda, Alejandro and Siti all looked down just in time to see a splash.

LINE BREAK

After hitting the water, Agro managed to surface. His whole body was steaming and had burn marks aplenty. Agro opened his mouth and howled a howl almost loud enough for everyone on the planet to hear.

LINE BREAK

About an hour later, Haley, Alejandro, Siti and Amanda all stood inside the main hall behind Zagger and the Council, who were all sitting down. "Thank you for your information..." Fachtna told Zagger. "Without you, Dragon Agro would have slain all of our other contestants..."

"We would be more than happy to help you find a new dragon to work with..." Nerk offered.

"No, thank you..." Zagger replied. "If you don't mind, I would like to retire as an animal guardian. I think I have seen my fair share of dragon business for my life time..."

The Council seemed to think this over before Ulixes answered: "Very well. You are dismissed..."

Haley and the others watched as Zagger turned and flew out of the room, then they turned their attention back to the Council as Fachtna spoke: "Well, now that that has been taken care of, there is still one more thing to decide. Who won the tournament?"

"Dragon Famosa..." Callum asked. "What was the outcome of your assignment?"

"I didn't finish it..." Alejandro admitted.

"Neither did I..." Siti added. "Dragon Agro captured us before we could complete it."

"It was the same for me as well..." Amanda lowered her head.

Fachtna nodded, then he stared at Haley. "Dragon Long, how about you?"

LINE BREAK

Sun sighed as she opened the door to Canal Street Electronics, Haley following her inside; Haley was holding a small medal in her hands. As soon as they got inside, Sun set her suitcase down. "I don't know why..." Sun said, not necessarily to Haley, but more to herself. "...but my bag was a lot lighter on the back..."

"Maybe you got used to the weight..." Haley supplied as she followed Lu Dog into the back room. "Hey, Fu!" Haley called. "Guess what? I won the tournament! Fu Dog?"

"It doesn't look like he's here..." Lu said after sniffing the floor. "It doesn't smell like it, either..."

"Hmm..." Haley thought. "That's odd. He's always here..."

LINE BREAK

Fu Dog panted as he rushed back into the room, closing the door behind him. "Why do these rooms have to be so hard to find?" Fu demanded to himself. "Oh well, I need to get back into the suitcase before Sun or Haley find me..."

Fu then started to walk around the room, looking for the suitcase. "Huh, that's odd..." the shar-pei said. "Where is it? It should be here..."

After looking around the room for a little while longer, Fu's eyes widened in shock as he realized that the suitcase was not in the room. "What the-?" Fu started, but then the truth hit him. "Uh-oh..."

LINE BREAK

"Oh well..." Haley shrugged as she set the medal down on the table before she turned back to face Lu Dog. "I guess he took himself for a walk or something...Anyway, thanks a lot, Lu Dog. You really helped me out."

"It was no problem, Haley..." Lu answered modestly, but Haley could sense that the golden retriever was deeply touched. "Well, goodnight..." Lu then jumped up on the couch and started to get comfortable.

"Goodnight, Lu..." Haley returned as she turned and walked out of the room.

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: Well, there's Chapter/Episode 11. What did you think? Please review.**


	12. Chapter 12

American Dragon: Haley Long (Season One)

Chapter/Episode 12: Dragon's Winter Wonderland

Snow fell heavily down to a mountain range where a man sat on a rock. The man sighed sadly as he put his chin in his hands, just as another person came over to him. The man turned his head to the person, who had blonde hair and was wearing a blue stewardess uniform. "Sir, we should stay together..." she said.

"Fine..." the man groaned as he stood up and followed the stewardess over to a whole bunch of other people, who were all standing next to an airline, which was in the snow, steaming, with one of the wings snapped in two. The captain of the plane was standing with the other passengers, and when he saw the stewardess, he hurried over her. "Good..." he said. "You found him. Sir, we need to stay together. Now, it was fortunate that no one was seriously hurt..."

"That's great!" the stewardess exclaimed.

"Yes..." the captain agreed. "But unfortunately, we are all stranded here, where we could all freeze to death. We need to get help. The question remains: who could go?"

"I could do it..." the man offered, not even thinking twice about what he was saying. After the words came out of his mouth, the captain and the stewardess turned from each other and stared at the man. "I can..." the man repeated.

"Very well..." the captain said quickly. "But hurry..."

LINE BREAK

The man shivered as he walked through the snow, which had been coming down harder and faster. As the man's teeth began to chatter, he started to look for something to shelter him in the distance. After searching wildly for a few seconds, the man finally caught sight of something in the far off distance. The man slowly made his way over to the object, and as he got closer, the man sighed with relief as he found that the object was actually a cave.

"Thank god..." the man said through chattering teeth as he slowly made his way inside. After the man had taken only three steps inside, he immediately felt warmer. It was as if there was an installed heater inside...

The man was just about to lean against the wall and catch his breath when a loud and maniacal laugh suddenly rang out through the cave. Blinking in shock, the man first thought that he had imagined it, but he could hear the laughter once again, only this time, it was louder.

"Hello?" the man asked, starting to walk deeper into the cave, until he came into a clearing. As he took one more step, the man found that he was standing on a cat-walk, looking down at one appeared to be a laboratory. The man looked down, and he could see a small man, shaped like a pillow, with short black hair and all black clothing had his back to him. The man in the cave appeared to be standing over a table, and the man from the plane crash stared in horror as whatever was on the table started to move, before it sat up. The man watching gasped. On the table was a giant candy-cane, with eyes and arms. The man, obviously a scientist, below laughed again.

"Yes!" the scientist boasted. "I've done it again! My living canes are now complete!" As he laughed, the scientist looked up, and his eyes locked with the man. The man was amazed by the scientist; the scientist had an eye-patch over his left eye and he had two buck-teeth. "Ah..." the scientist spoke. "It appears I have a guest..."

"Um, yes..." The man stuttered. "You see, me and a whole bunch of other people survived a plane crash, and now we need shelter..."

"Sir..." the scientist said, and the man started to smile, starting to think that the scientist was going to help him. However, the man's smile faded when the scientist shouted: "I DON'T TRUST YOU! No one will steal the creations of Doctor Kain! Minion, take care of him!"

As the mutant candy-cane jumped up onto the cat-walk and grabbed the man, Doctor Kain stood there, chuckling, and then breaking into a mad cackle...

BLACKOUT; PLAY THEME SONG

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Many miles away, Haley Long groaned as she slowly opened her eyes and rolled over in her bed. Yawning, Haley sat up and put her feet on the floor as she placed her sheets back down on the bed. Yawning again, Haley opened her door and walked down the hall, walking down the stairs and into the front room where a large, holographic Christmas tree was set up. Haley made her way over to the couch and sat down, just as both of her parents walked out of the kitchen, both wearing Christmas sweaters.

"Merry Christmas, Haley!" they both exclaimed as they walked over to their daughter. "Are you ready to open presents, Haley-hoo?" Jonathan asked.

"Jonathan, just know that we can't take forever..." Susan told her husband.

"Why not?"

"Haley's going up to the cabin the belongs to Leah's family for the weekend..." Susan answered. "Leah should arrive here with the rest of her family members in about an hour..."

LINE BREAK

After opening all of her presents, Haley walked up to her bedroom and went to her closet, pulling it open and grabbing her suitcase before she turned and left her room, just starting to go down the stairs when she heard the honking of a car horn outside. "Haley!" Susan walked over to the bottom stairs and smiled up at her daughter. "Leah's here!"

"I know, Mom..." Haley answered as she got to the bottom of the stairs.

"Just be safe, Haley..." Susan Long said quietly, her smile slowly fading. "Can you promise me that one thing, Haley?"

"Yes, Mom..." Haley groaned as she reached the front door, and as she put her hand on the knob, she turned to face her mother, and father, who was exiting the kitchen and joined his wife. "I'll be fine..." Haley told them, just as another honk came from outside.

"Have fun, Haley!" Jonathan bid her a cheery farewell as Haley opened the door and stepped outside, closing the door behind her.

LINE BREAK

Haley slowly walked down the steps that led to her front door as she made her over to a red car, just as the window rolled down, and Haley could see the face of her friend, Leah. "Merry Christmas, Haley..." Leah smiled as she opened the door. "Get in..."

Haley nodded as she climbed inside of the car, sitting down and closing the door behind her. Haley then turned to face Leah, only to find that she was one of now four people sitting in the back seat. Next to Haley sat a girl of about twenty-three year old woman with short red hair. The woman did not appear to notice Haley, and instead, she had a pair of headphones in her ears as she listened to her iPod, which was the size of a chocolate chip.

"Haley..." Leah said. "I want you to meet my older sister, Alena..." Leah then reached over to her sister and pulled off one of her headphones. Alena turned her attention to her sister and had a scowl on her face. "What?" Alena demanded.

"Leah, don't bother your sister..." Haley then turned her head to the driver's seat as a woman of about fifty turned around and glared at Leah; Haley assumed that this was Leah's mother. Mrs. Belden may have been fifty, but she looked about sixty. Her hair, although originally brown, as almost completely grey. "How would you like it if she bothered you when you were trying to do something else?"

"Honey..." the man in the passenger's seat smiled at his wife. Mr. Belden looked much younger than his wife, and he had red hair that was balding. His face looked plump, and even though Haley could not see, she guessed that he was overweight. "Leah's just trying to introduce us to her friend."

"She can do that later when we get to the cabin..." Mrs. Belden said in an annoyed tone. "Besides, you know how I feel about you talking while I drive. It distracts me!"

"Sorry, mom..." Leah apologized.

"Don't apologize..." Mrs. Belden snapped, but then her face softened. "It's okay, Leah. Just...let me focus on the road..."

Haley then turned her head at Leah, who shrugged as the features on her face told Haley that she wanted to apologize. Then, Haley stared passed Leah and found the fourth person sitting in the back. A boy, who looked about twenty years old. Like Leah, the boy had long brown hair, his hair touching his shoulder blades and his bangs going down over his eyes. The young man turned his head toward Haley, and Haley was surprised to see that he was scowling-scowling at her.

LINE BREAK

The Belden family car came to a stop after it pulled up at the peak of a mountain, where there was a wooden cabin with Christmas lights and a wreath hung up. The cabin was quite large; the door was fancy and the windows were stain-glass. As the engine turned completely off, Leah opened the door and she climbed out, followed closely by Haley and Alena. Haley then turned around and found that the boy was just sitting there, his scowl still directed at her.

"Ah, don't mind Ian..." Haley suddenly jumped in surprise as Mr. Belden appeared in front of her, slamming the car door shut. "He just feels uncomfortable around, well...around your kind..."

"Dad!" Leah exclaimed, and Haley could tell that she was blushing.

"Sorry, Leah..." Mr. Belden replied. "But you know, it's kind of true. Not that there's anything wrong with being a dragon, Haley..." Then, Mr. Belden turned and followed his wife and oldest daughter into the cabin, leaving Haley and Leah alone. Haley growled in annoyance as she turned to face Leah, and Leah's eyes widened in fear.

"You told your family?"

"Was that wrong of me?" Leah asked, backing up and slowly bringing her hands up to her face, as if to say "Please don't slice my face to pieces!"

Upon seeing how freaked out Leah looked, Haley sighed and took a deep breath. "Your parents don't like me because I'm a dragon..."

"No, you've got it all wrong..." Leah replied, a small and hopeful smile making its way to her face. "Ian doesn't like you because you're a dragon. My parents want to give you a chance. That's why we invited you."

"Gee, I feel so special..." Haley muttered sarcastically before she followed Leah into the cabin.

LINE BREAK

Dr. Kain laughed maniacally as he stood in front of a pile of clothes on the floor of his laboratory; clothes that had been worn by the intruder who had been seeking shelter from the cold. "Yes, my cane-man!" Kain laughed as he turned to face the candy-cane man. "Yes! You are serving me well! I have one final test for you!"

Kain then walked over to the wall and he slammed his fist against a button that was on the wall. A moment later, a sliding steel door in the wall slid up, revealing an army of about fifty candy-cane men, just like the one in front of cane.

"Yes!" Kain cackled. "Go, my candy-cane men! Go and cause as much destruction as you can! If anyone gets in your way...KILL THEM!" Then, Kain continued to cackle as the candy-cane men exited the cave...

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

As soon as Leah closed the door to the cabin behind them, Haley sighed as she pulled off her jacket, hanging it up on the rack as she felt a presence approaching them. And as she turned around, Haley sighed as she saw Alena Belden standing in front of them, her hands at her sides, bent in a V-shape. "Where's Ian?' she asked.

"He's still in the car." Leah replied.

Alena scoffed before she said: "Well, can you go get him?"

"You're the one who wants him..." Leah barked back. "So, why don't you get him? I'm going to show Haley to her room, and then I have something to give her..." As Leah and Haley started to walk passed her, Haley found that Alena looked like she was about to say something, but instead, she scowled and stomped over to the door, throwing it open and stomping out into the snow.

"Just ignore her..." Leah advised Haley. "She thinks that because she's the oldest kid in the family, her younger siblings should do things for her. And believe it or not, Mom actually encourages her..."

"I think I believe it..." Haley said as she followed her friend up the stairs, which led to a hallway with four bedrooms. We'll be sleeping in here..." Leah said as she walked passed Haley and pushed open the door. "Now, you can get settled...while I bring in your things and your gift..."

Haley then watched as Leah turned and walked back down the stairs. Haley sighed as she walked into the room, finding two beds in the room. Haley walked over to the first bed and sat down, just in time for Leah to come back inside the room, carrying Haley's suitcase in one hand and a small package in the other. Leah walked over to the bed and placed the suitcase down and handed Haley the present. "You can open it now if you want..." Leah told her. "And, I really am sorry for the way the rest of my family is acting. If it's any consolation, they act like this pretty much every day. It's not you...for the most part..."

"It's okay..." Haley said as she took the present with one hand, while her other hand reached into her suitcase, pulling out another package, which she handed to Leah. "You can open that now..."

Leah nodded as she used her fingers to rip off the wrapping paper, and once the paper was gone, Leah looked down and could see a CD and could see a picture of a girl wearing all black with nose piercings and one lip piercing. The girl had straight black hair, with each strand of hair having been dyed a different dark color. "Lucky Kentucky?"

"Yeah..." Haley replied. "I remember you said that you liked her music. Well, this was before she became famous. You know, back when CDs were popular. I am willing to bet that you have never heard any of those songs."

LINE BREAK

Alena Belden shivered as she stepped out of the cabin and started to walk into the snow. Alena finally made her way to the car, but just as she put her hand on the handle, she could hear the car locking from the inside. Alena scowled as she peered into the window, staring right at Ian's scowl.

"Come on out, you brat..." Alena growled as she pulled at the car door fruitlessly. "Mom and Dad want you inside!"

LINE BREAK

Leah stared at the CD with wide eyes. "Wow, Haley..." was all she could say at first, but then she slowly started to recover. "Um, you can open mine if you want to. It's not as nice, but I think you'll like it..."

"Alright..." Haley replied, but just as she started to unwrap the present, she groaned as Mrs. Belden appeared at the door. "Leah..." Mrs. Belden spoke. "You and your friend need to come down the stairs. Your father wants the entire family downstairs."

"Alright, Mom..." Leah said to her mother, groaning as soon as soon as her mother had left. Then, Leah turned to face Haley. "Sorry, Haley. I guess we can do this later..."

LINE BREAK

"Come on, Ian!" Alena silently cursed as she tried to open the door. "Just come out of the car and come inside for just a few minutes!" Alena was so busy trying to rip the car door off its hinges, that she didn't hear the door on the other side of the car open and slam shut. Alena soon stopped trying to pull the door open as she heard footsteps in the snow, and the next thing she knew, Ian was standing at her side, his scowl now even bigger. "Ian, just come inside!" Alena begged.

"And be in there with that dragon?" Ian demanded. "I don't think so..."

"Do you think I like having a dragon for my younger sister's only friend?" Alena growled. "No. I don't, you don't, and Mom doesn't. But, we can't change it. The best thing we can do is-"

"Get to know her like Dad advises?" Ian suggested sarcastically before Alena could finish.

"No..." Alena responded. "Pretend that she doesn't exist. It's been working for me..."

"That doesn't work for me..." Ian growled. "I don't want her anywhere near me. I want her gone..."

Alena sighed and took a step back. "I remember a time when you thought that dragons were cool..."

"I remember a time when you thought so, too..." Ian replied, crossing his arms.

Alena was about to say something else, but before she could, she heard a crashing and crunching sound not that far away. Alena turned her head to Ian, only to find that Ian was slowly starting to back away, his eyes wide with fear. Alena turned her head to what Ian was staring at, and although she couldn't believe the sight before her eyes, it was so obviously really there. Standing in front of them was an army of about fifty candy-canes that were about the size of a large man...

LINE BREAK

Leah walked down the stairs inside the cabin, closely followed by Haley, who looked nervous, because she was nervous. She didn't feel right being with the family at this time. Mr. Belden was sitting in a rocking chair, as Mrs. Belden stood in front of husband.

"Where's Ian and Alena?" she asked, just as a loud shriek came from outside. "What was that?"

"I guess that answered your question..." Leah said dully as her parents both rushed over to the door. As Mr. Belden threw the door open, Haley and Leah both made their way over to the door, and both gasped as they saw giant, walking candy-canes starting to corner the two older Belden siblings.

"What are those things?" Leah asked just as her father rushed out of the door and ran over to his two older children. "Alena! Ian!" Mr. Belden called. "Hurry! Get inside where you'll be safe!" Ian and Alena both rushed over to their father, and the three started to run back to the door of the cabin, but before they could even take three steps, one of the giant candy-canes jumped over them and landed right in front of them, taking several steps, backing the three back into the army of candy-canes.

Haley could only stare in shock and fear at the sight in front of her; she had no doubt that the candy-canes would destroy the three. Haley turned her head to the side as she felt someone tugging at her jacket, and she could see that Leah was looking at her with fright and desperation in her eyes.

"Haley, please..." Leah begged. "You have to do something...Help them!"

Haley could only stare back, transfixed by the fear in Leah's eyes. But as she heard another frighten shriek come from Alena, she nodded. "DRAGON UP!" Haley shouted, and Mrs. Belden pulled her daughter back towards her as a bright light consumed Haley. When the light was gone, there was a blur of pink as Haley sped out of the door.

The American Dragon growled as she got closer to the giant candy-cane that was pushing Mr Belden and two of his children back towards the other monsters. Haley stopped flapping her wings and landed in the snow just a couple of inches away from the giant candy-cane.

"Hey, candy-cane!" Haley growled, making the candy-cane turn to face her, giving Mr. Belden, Alena and Ian time to run passed the candy-cane and Haley, making their way back into the cabin. "Why don't you mess with someone who can stop you?" Haley growled, the giant candy-cane and the rest of the army starting to step closer to her. Haley responded quickly, releasing a blast of fire from her mouth that consumed the candy-cane, making some kind of roar of pain come from the beast, and once Haley stopped breathing fire, she found that the beast was now completely bright red.

"HIYAH!" Haley shouted, slamming her tail into the candy-cane, making it shatter into millions of pieces. The rest of the army stopped in their tracks and they stared down at the destroyed candy-cane splinted all over the snow as Haley flew back into the cabin, closing the door behind her.

Haley panted as reverted to her human form once she used herself to cover the door, sliding down onto the floor. Then, she looked up at the Belden family. "What were those things?" Leah asked.

Haley did not answer her question. Instead, all she said was: "Block the doors..."

LINE BREAK

The splinters of the giant, living candy-cane had been moved from the cold snow outside, and now they were on the floor of the laboratory, at the feet of Doctor Kain, who roared with rage. "How can this be?" he roared. "This was not supposed to happen!" Kain lifted his gaze up from the floor and stared directly at his army. Walking over to the army, he roared: "Who did this? Tell me who has done this! The one responsible must pay for the destruction of my creation! Who has done this?"

When he got no answer, Kain growled as he addressed his army: "You will go back to the area where the one who did this is staying! Then, you will destroy him or her and all who are with them! The only difference...this time, I'm coming..."

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Mr. Belden put some more firewood on the dying fire in the fireplace in the cabin, giving the fire a comeback to life. Then, Mr. Belden turned and walked back over to the rest of his family and Haley, who were all sitting on the couch, accept for Alena, who was sitting in her father's rocking chair. "Well..." Mrs. Belden spoke after her husband sat down. "I guess it's fortunate that we have a dragon along with us..."

Haley could hear Ian scoff from where he sat, which was as humanly far away from her as possible. Haley had to admit that she didn't care for what Mrs. Belden had said herself, but it was for a different reason than why he didn't like it.

"What were those things, anyway?" Leah asked, and Alena scoffed.

"Didn't you see them?" Alena demanded. "What did they look like to you? They looked like giant candy-canes to me! Living candy-canes!"

"But what are they doing here?" Leah continued. "And how did they come to be?"

"Does it look like we know the answer, Leah?" Mrs. Belden scolded her child. Well, that what her tone sounded like she was doing. "Besides, it is not our place to know how they came to be..."

"What are you talking about?" Leah jumped off of the couch and confronted her mother. "Mom, those things are dangerous!"

"That's exactly why we're staying in her, Leah..." Alena retorted slowly in a slow, lecturing voice. "I mean, I know your brain isn't as developed as mine, but I at least thought you were smart enough to..." But before Alena could finish her insult, Leah growled as she leapt onto her older sister, knocking her out of her chair and sending them both onto the floor.

"Leah, stop it!" Mrs. Belden commanded as she got up from her place on the couch. "Leah!" Haley watched as Mrs. Belden bent down and picked up both of her daughters. "Leah, that is completely inappropriate behavior!"

"But Mom..." Leah broke free from her mother's grip. "We can't just stay here and wait for those things to come back! I mean, I think Haley would agree with me! We have to fight these things off! Right, Haley?"

Haley, to be perfectly honest, was absolutely shocked to see this side of Leah Belden. From everything she saw in Leah, she had no idea that deep down, Leah had this kind of insight. Haley was so shocked that she could only nod her head. "Yes..." she finally managed to make out.

Leah smiled after hearing this from Haley, but as she turned to face the rest of her family, she could see that Alena was frowning. "And what makes you think that I should hold the word of a dragon, a dragon younger than I am, at any value?" Alena demanded.

"Why are you being so mean to her?" Leah demanded, and Haley felt like she just wanted to back up into the wall. "She never did anything to you! She even saved your life!"

"Did you not forget what a dragon did to Ian?" Alena yelled back. "And, if I remember correctly, you hated dragons just as much as I do now...until you went and befriended one. But even then, at the beginning, you hated her..."

"I never hated her..."

"No, you didn't hate her..." Alena tried to stifle a laugh. "You were afraid of her! And don't you dare use that 'she saved you' excuse! Remember when she saved you from being blown up? You still didn't like her!"

"It took me awhile to realize just what she did for me..." Leah countered. "It took time for me to get to trust Haley..."

"It won't for me..." Alena shot back. "Because I refuse to ever trust her!" Then, before Leah could react, Alena turned and walked to the door, opening it and slamming it shut after she walked out of it.

LINE BREAK

Alena turned and walked down the steps, grumbling with anger as she stepped out into the snow, walking as far away from the cabin as humanly possible. As soon as she had made it a good distance from the cabin, Alena passed through two trees, only to stop in her tracks when she heard a sound that sounded like footsteps. Many footsteps, as if there was a marching group nearby. The next thing Alena knew, she could see the army of candy-cane men again, only this time, there was a man in front of them; the man appeared to be following them, despite the fact that he was in the front.

Before Alena had a chance to turn and run, she could hear the man shouting: "Get her!" The next thing Alena knew, one of the candy-cane men had jumped over her and blocked her fleeing chance. Alena started to shake and whimper as the rest of the army and the man approached her, completely trapping her.

"Is this the one that destroyed my creation?" the man turned to one of the candy-cane men.

"No!" Alena turned toward the man and walked over to him, falling to her knees as she spoke to him. "It wasn't me! But I saw who did do it, and I can take you to her..."

LINE BREAK

Back at the cabin, Haley sat against the wall alone, as the rest of the family huddled together on the couch. Haley suddenly looked up as she caught sight of movement, and she could see Leah walking over to her. Leah reached Haley's side, and she slid down, sitting down next to her.

"Hey..." Haley muttered.

"Perhaps this was a mistake..." Leah sighed. "Maybe I shouldn't have asked you. That way, you wouldn't be in this mess..."

"It's not your fault..." Haley replied. "You couldn't control what happened with the candy-canes."

"That's not what I meant..." Leah told Haley, but then she corrected herself. "Okay, I do mean that, but that's not the only thing that I mean. I'm talking about my family. I'm sorry you had to hear my argument with Alena. But what she said is true. I didn't trust you...not until you taught me that it isn't all black and white. Maybe that's why I convinced my dad to let you come. To teach Ian and Alena that it isn't all black and white..."

"You didn't used to hate dragons?"

"Ian and I used to love dragons." Leah smiled at the memories. "I was only nine, but I remember clearly the day that it was revealed to the population that dragons were real. Ian and I were so excited; Alena didn't care. Ian and Alena didn't used to get along; he used to get along a lot better with me. But then I met you, and my opinion of dragons changed all over again, while his changed. So, naturally, he started to listen to Alena more often, because her opinion didn't change either. And Alena and I never really got along."

"She seems like a very difficult person to get along with..." Haley agreed with a smal smile on her face.

"Tell me about it..." Leah replied, just as Ian walked out of the kitchen, a mug in his hands. Ian scowled as he met Haley's stare. Haley sighed as she watched as Ian sat down on the couch, taking a sip from his mug. "Leah..." Haley said. "I'm failing..."

"Failing?" Leah asked, a look of confusion on her face, but then she got the hint. Nodding, she added: "There is still time. The trip is still young..."

Just as those words came out of Leah's mouth, a large shard of candy-cane ripped through the wooden door of the cabin and flew through the room, going into the kitchen, which was followed by a loud crash, which was followed by Mr. and Mrs. Belden running out of the kitchen.

"Are they back?" Mrs. Belden asked, fear evident in her voice.

"I guess there's only one way to find out..." Haley said, standing up and transforming into her pink dragon form. Haley flew over to the door, but just as she put her claws on the knob, the door wad blasted off of its hinges, and Haley was thrown across the room as Doctor Kain entered the room, followed by Alena. "Alena, what are you doing?" Mr. Belden demanded.

"Silence!" Doctor Kain yelled. "You have destroyed one of my creations...Now, you ALL must DIE!" With his proclamation, everyone inside, even Alena, looked up as the candy-cane men came crashing through the roof, their feet slamming against the wooden floor.

"Alena..." Haley could hear Ian mutter, but Alena just looked away. Growling, Haley could feel the bright light consuming her body, and once the light had disappeared, her pink dragon form was there. Haley turned to face the doctor, who looked very frightened to see a dragon. Haley took pleasure from this, and she slammed her tail into three of the candy-cane men, sending them flying backwards, crashing into Doctor Kain; all four were thrown from the cabin and into the snow.

Alena turned her head and stared as Haley flew after them, only to grunt, falling out of the cabin, rolling down the steps and onto the cold snow as she was attacked. Alena forced her head up and could see Leah on top of her. "What were you thinking?" Leah demanded. "Working with him?"

"Leah, please..." Alena begged. "Get off of me! Please! I was trapped! I didn't know what else to do! I didn't want him to use his candy-cane army to obliterate me!" As she pleaded, Alena could see that Leah's facial features were softening, and the next thing she knew, Leah had completely gotten off of her.

Panting, Alena stood up and faced her younger sister. "Thanks..." Alena said. "But, now you see why I have to do this..."

Once again, Alena could see that her sister's features were darkening, and the next thing that Leah knew, her fist shot up and made contact with Alena's face, throwing her off of her feet and slamming her onto her back on the snow.

LINE BREAK

Doctor Kain groaned as he stood up after the attack. Kain's panicked expression soon left his face as he saw that his candy-cane men were guarding him from the dragon. "What are you waiting for?" Kain demanded. "Destroy her!"

The candy-cane men seemed to listen to his command, but Haley simply hovered into the air. "Hey, crazy guy!" Haley called down to him, and the fear returned to Kain's face as she finished: "It really wasn't wise to have your candy-canes fight a dragon..." Then, Haley opened her mouth and released a blast of fire, consuming the three candy-cane men. And as the candy-cane men howled in pain, Haley grabbed them with her tail and tossed them up into the air. Kain watched, his eyes wide as Haley used her claws to slice the cane men into several pieces, each of the pieces coming down into the snow, forming a circle-shaped cell around Kain, trapping him. Haley grinned as she landed on the ground, staring at Kain, who looked heartbroken.

"Y...You..." Kain could only say. "You...destroyed...destroyed my candy-cane men...You destroyed my candy-cane men!" Then, the grin on Haley's face only widened as Kain fell to his knees, shouting in despair.

"Haley!" Haley's attention was suddenly pulled away from the pathetic excuse for a doctor when Leah called out to her. Haley turned her head to see Leah on the ground, wrestling in the snow with Alena as Leah tried to indicate to the cabin, where the army of the candy-cane men were now trying to bring it down as Mr. and Mrs. Belden were huddled up next to Ian uin the middle of the front room.

Thinking quickly, Haley sped over to the cabin, going as fast as her wings could take her. Haley finally made it inside the cabin, just as parts of the roof started to come crashing down to the floor. Haley landed right in front of the three Belden's and grabbed them, carrying them up to the roof, crashing through the roof, just as the entire cabin came crashing down. Haley looked down at Mrs. Belden as she heard a gasp coming from her. "You're okay now..." Haley tried to tell them.

Haley finally landed and let go of the three before turning her attention back to the candy-cane men, who now just turned from the wrecked cabin. "Well, this isn't going to be easy..." Haley muttered to herself, but then she smiled. "Well, I guess I got to try..." Then, with a "Hiyah!" Haley flew at the candy-cane army...

LINE BREAK

The sirens of the police cruisers rang loudly as Alena and Doctor Kain were locked inside the back of the cruiser. The cruiser containing the two then drove off as soon as the two police officers got inside, the wheels of the cruiser running over the shards of what were once candy-cane men.

Over at the remains of the cabin, Haley and Leah stood over the wreckage, Haley kneeling down and trying to pull things out of the cabin that had survived the crashing down as Leah looked at her parents, who were talking to another police officer.

"I guess we're getting an escort home from the police..." Leah said as Haley straightened up, not being able to find anything. Leah sighed. "I wonder how my parents are going to be able to handle Alena being locked up in the local prison..."

"How do you feel about it?" Haley asked. "I'm sorry, by the way..."

"Don't be..." Leah replied. "Some people just never change..." It took Haley a moment before Haley realized that Leah was looking at Ian, who was sitting alone in the snow. "Why don't you go talk to him?"

"I don't think I'm ready..." Haley tried.

"You just saved his life..." Leah turned to Haley, smiling and putting a hand on her shoulder. So, either he's already come around, or he will come around..."

"How do you know for sure?"

"He's a Belden..."

LINE BREAK

Haley took a deep breath as she took one more step, putting herself only a mere few inches from Leah's brother. "Um, hey..." Haley spoke, and Ian jumped up with shock before he turned around to face Haley, his head down and his eyes looking down at the snow.

"Hey..."

"Leah wanted me to talk to you..."

"About what?" Ian asked, looking up from the snow, and Haley was shocked to see that there was no longer a hateful glare or scowl anywhere in his features. Instead, Ian looked...confused.

"I'm not sure..."

"Do you want to talk to me?" Ian asked. "Because there is something I want to know. Why would a dragon try to kill me if another dragon saved my life? Can you tell me that?" Ian asked.

Haley sighed as she tried and failed to come up with an answer. Ian seemed to get the message, and he nodded. "Well, if you ever think of an answer, why don't you tell me..."

"Alright..." was all Haley could say. Ian nodded, and Haley found that she should excuse herself. Haley then turned and walked back over to the remains of the cabin, where Leah was now sitting.

"Well, what did he say?" Leah asked. "How did he react to you?"

"I..." Haley started, but then she realized the truth. "I'm not entirely sure..." Haley answered. "I think only time will tell..."

Leah nodded, just as the two girls could hear Mrs. Belden calling out: Ian, Leah, Haley! We're going home! Hurry up!"

Leah then sat up, and the two girls sighed as they walked over to the cruiser, which would take them all home.

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: Well, there's the chapter/episode. What did you think? Personally, I like this one. Well, please review. Oh, and Merry Christmas!**


	13. Chapter 13

American Dragon: Haley Long (Season One)

Chapter/Episode 13: Explosive Failure

Haley grunted as she slammed into the pavement after the cloaked dragon had dealt a powerful blow. From her place on the ground, on her back, Haley turned her head to the left to see Leah backed up against the wall of a building as the masked thief fired at her using her futuristic gun. As each blast hit the wall, Leah ducked the blast before jumping from her feet and landing on her stomach onto the pavement after another blast hit right where she had been standing just previously. "HALEY!" Leah shouted. "Please hurry up and defeat him so you can HELP ME!"

Haley was so distracted by Leah, that she had completely forgotten about the cloaked dragon. That is, until she could hear his growling and could see him flying toward her. A large blast of fire came from his mouth, which was covered by the hood of his cloak, and Haley rolled out of the way in order to avoid the blast. Haley jumped up to her feet and hovered in the air, slamming her tail into the cloaked dragon, knocking him backwards and onto the cement. "Now why don't you just get lost?" Haley boasted.

Haley could hear a growl, and the next thing she knew, the cloaked dragon shot up and flew away. "You haven't seen the last of me!" he vowed as he disappeared down the street. The thief noticed that the dragon was fleeing; sending a glare Haley's way, the thief started to follow the cloaked dragon, running down the street.

"Well, that was weird..." Haley muttered to herself as she reverted to her human form before walking over to Leah and helping her to her feet. "Are you alright?"

"Yeah..." Leah replied. "You know, every time I'm around you and you get attacked by another magical creature..."

"Yeah?"

"I just have to keep telling myself that you're not like them..." Leah finished.

"That makes me feel so much better..." Haley replied sarcastically as she bent over and picked up both of their backpacks. Handing Leah's to her, both girls slipped them on over their shoulders and continued walking down the sidewalk.

LINE BREAK

Haley stopped walking along with Leah when the two reached the steps of Haley's house. "Well, I'll see you tomorrow..." Leah told her, and Haley nodded as she started to walk up the steps. Haley stopped right in front of the front door and turned her head, watching as Leah walked away. Sighing, Haley turned the knob and stepped inside the house, closing the door behind her.

BLACKOUT; PLAY THEME SONG

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Haley yawned as she walked down the stairs and walked over to the kitchen table, where her father was at the stove, cooking pancakes. "Hey, Haley-hoo..." Jonathan smiled as his daughter sat down. "I'm doing something we haven't done in a while. I'm making pancakes!"

"That's nice..." Haley moaned, as her father turned away from the stove with a small frying pan that had two pancakes inside. Jonathan Long turned the pan over, dropping the pancakes onto his daughter's plate, only to notice that Haley was interested.

"What's wrong, Haley?" Jonathan asked. "I thought you would be excited to have me fire up the waffle iron..."

"It's Leah..." Haley muttered, and a panicked look made its way onto Jonathan's face. "SUSAN!" he called out, and a moment later, Susan Long walked out of the kitchen. "Oh good!" Jonathan exclaimed, relieved. "Your mother! Uh, I mean...maybe she can help you..."

"Help?" Susan asked, walking over and sitting on the other side of the table. "With what?" As Susan asked this, Jonathan slowly backed up and returned to the stove. "Haley..." Susan repeated. "Is something wrong? You can always talk to me."

Haley gave a long sigh before she spoke. "It's Leah..." She explained. "I just feel like all this magical business is going to send her over the edge. I'm basically the only dragon she trusts, other than Sun..."

"How is that a problem?" Susan asked. "If she trusts you...?"

"But she doesn't trust any other dragons..." Haley explained. "And when I constantly get attacked by magical creatures when I'm with her, I fear that it might change her mind about me. She's the only friend I have..."

"Oh, Haley..." Susan shook her head. "I don't think you have anything to worry about. She's gotten to understand you. She knows who you are. Don't worry..."

LINE BREAK

The thief watched as the cloaked dragon leaned against the wall in their dark, abandoned building of a hideout. The thief was surprised to see the dragon just stand there; he completely expected to see him angry because he was defeated. "Why aren't you angry?" she finally asked. "Why aren't you throwing a fit? You lost! You were defeated!"

"I find that there is a difference between defeat and retreat..." the cloaked dragon took a step closer to the thief. "Retreat means that I will live to fight another day-I will have another chance to get that hourglass..."

"Well, what's your plan this time?" the thief asked, rolling her eyes. "Because you've been doing such a good job at fighting that girl in the past. Just tell me. I want to know..."

The cloaked dragon took his time before answering. "You know where she lives, right?"

"Yes..."

"Well, if you were able to figure that out, I'm certain you will be able to figure out where she goes to school..."

LINE BREAK

As Haley flew high up in the sky, she could see all of the students outside, like they were ants. Haley landed on the ground, reverting to her human form as she walked up the steps and pushed open the doors before stepping into the halls. Haley immediately caught sight of Leah at her locker, and Haley made her way over to her friend, just as Leah closed her locker door. "Oh, hey Haley..."

"Hey Leah..." Haley started. "You know, I was thinking about what happened yeste..." But before she could finish, the bell signaling all of the students to get to class rang, loudly echoing down the halls. Haley sighed. "I'll tell you later..."

"Alright..." Leah accepted as the two walked down the hallway, stopping at the door to Mrs. "Yrael's classroom, opening the door and stepping inside, where O'Yrael was sitting at her desk, grading papers. O'Yrael looked up from her desk and stared at Haley, grinning. "Ah, Miss Dragon, I've graded your test that you took last class. You'll be glad to know that I failed you..."

Haley was about to respond, but before she could, the door opened and a bunch of other students entered the room. "Alright, take your seats..." O'Yrael stood up from her desk and walked to the front of the class as all of the students sat down. "Well, I have to admit that I don't have anything planned for today's class. I was too busy thinking of ways to torment Miss Dragon..."

Leah turned her head to face Haley, and Leah could tell by Haley's clenched teeth and fists, that the young dragon was struggling to control her urge to jump up from her seat.

"So..." O'Yrael continued. "you can just sit back today. We'll make up for it the next time we meet..." O'Yrael then turned and sat back down at her desk and resumed her grading of the papers.

LINE BREAK

Back at the hideout, the thief sat at a large holographic screen. As soon as she finished typing, the cloaked dragon walked over to her side and the form of Millard Fillmore High School appeared on the holographic computer.

"Excellent work..." the cloaked dragon commended as he lifted off of the ground and flew out of the room.

LINE BREAK

Haley sat her desk, silently seething as she heard Leah's desk scooting towards hers. Turning her head, Haley could see that Leah was now right next to her, smiling slightly. "You're not going to let Mrs. O'Yrael get to you, are you?"

"I'm trying not to..." Haley told her as she clenched her fists. "It's just...I hate this. I hate the way my life has been for the last nine years! I wish it hadn't changed..."

Leah looked like she was about to say something, but before she could, her eyes widened in fear and she let out shriek of fear as she jumped up from her seat and tried to hide herself under her desk. And as Haley heard a crash coming through the window, she could see that all of the other students were doing the exact same thing.

Haley whirled around in her seat and gasped as she saw the cloaked dragon standing on the floor. Instinctively, Haley jumped into the air from her seat, transforming into her pink dragon form as she touched the ground. "Do you have to attack me while I'm at school?" Haley demanded.

"What is going on here?" Haley could hear O'Yrael demanding, and the next thing the American Dragon knew, her teacher was standing in-between the two of them. "You're not supposed to be in dragon form during school hours!" She scolded Haley with a cruel grin on her face. "That will be a week of detention for you, Miss Dragon. And as for you..." Mrs. O'Yrael turned to the cloaked dragon and jabbed her finger into his chest. "How dare you sho-Uggh!" Before O'Yrael could finish, Haley watched as there was a flash, and there was now something wrapped around O'Yrael's throat.

"Get lost..." the cloaked dragon growled, and the next thing Haley knew, Mrs. O'Yrael went flying over the cloaked dragon's head and crashed through the window. Then, the cloaked dragon attacked, slamming into Haley, sending them both crashing through the door of the room and out into the hallway. With Haley on her back, the cloaked dragon jumped up on his feet and blew fire toward her, but Haley rolled out of the way, slamming her tail into the cloaked dragon's feet as she did so. The cloaked grunted as he slammed against the floor, Haley taking the time to get up and fly down the hall. The cloaked dragon managed to look up and see Haley fleeing; growling with anger, the cloaked dragon shot up and sped up to her.

The cloaked dragon caught up with her easily, ramming into her, knocking her on the floor and on her face. Haley rolled over quickly and smacked the cloaked dragon in the side of his covered face, as she started to stand up against a wall. Unfortunately, as Haley stood up, the cloaked dragon's claws jerked toward her as he roared, his claws slashing into her scaly arm. Haley's eyes widened, and she glanced up to see the cloaked dragon's claws coming down on her. Haley reacted quickly, and slid down to the floor just as the cloaked dragon's claws slashed into the wall, and a fire alarm, which was on the wall right behind where Haley was standing.

As all of the classroom doors opened and all of the students rushed out of the room, Haley could tell that the cloaked dragon's guard was down. Quickly, Haley slammed her tail into his chest, and the cloaked dragon yelled as he was thrown off of the ground and crashed through the ceiling of the school.

LINE BREAK

The cloaked dragon flew through the roof of the school and went frying through the air until he came crashing down on the roof of a nearby building. The cloaked dragon groaned with pain as he forced himself up into a sitting position, and ultimately, a standing position.

Still being able to hear the blaring fire alarm, the cloaked dragon walked over to the side of the building and looked down at all of the students outside of the school, as well as Mrs. O'Yrael, who was lying unconscious right outside of the window he had thrown her out of.

"Hmm..." the cloaked dragon suddenly smiled behind the hood of his cloak. Listening to the annoying fire alarm was giving him an idea.

BLACKOUT; CUT TO COMMERCIAL

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Haley now sat on the couch of Canal Street Electronics, in-between Lu and Fu Dog, while Trixie wrapped a bandage around her arm. "Thanks, Trixie..." Haley said as Trixie stood up, Sun Park standing near the wall.

"It's no problem, girl..." Trixie smiled at Haley. Trixie had grown in size quite a bit in the last nine years, and her hair, which had previously been pulled up in two buns, was now only pulled back in one. "Why don't you tell me how times have been treating you, though..."

"Eh..." Haley shrugged. "It could be better, but I'm sure it could be worse too."

"Oh, come on, Haley..." Trixie urged her. "Mama Trixie hasn't seen you in awhile. There has to be something that's bothering you."

"Well..." Haley considered telling Trixie about her fear at the moment, and after a moment, she decided that it would be best if she told Trixie. "Well, I'm worried about my friend. I'm worried that with all the magical business going on in my life, she'll get unnerved."

"Are you serious, Haley?" Trixie smiled, and the next minute, she put her hand on Haley's shoulder. "Take Spudinski and me for example, Haley. We didn't mind that Jakie was a dragon, and there was nothing that could drive us apart. We were friends for life, and friends for real."

Hearing this, Haley couldn't help but smile. Trixie, as usual, was probably right. But before Haley could thank her, Trixie caught sight of Lu Dog, and was now patting her head. "Who is this?" Trixie asked.

"I'm Lu..." Lu Dog answered shyly. "Haley's animal guardian..."

"What?" Trixie asked, glancing from Lu Dog to Fu on the other side of Haley. "But..."

"Don't ask..." Fu growled, and Trixie felt compelled to obey what the dog ordered. "Well..." Trixie turned over to Sun. "I need to get back to the campus..."

"Thank you for coming..." Sun thanked. "Do you need a ride?"

"Nah, I've got it!" Trixie grinned. "Well, I'll see ya later..." Then, Trixie turned and left the room, the bell ringing soon after. Sun walked over to Haley and told her: "Haley, we should get started on training..."

LINE BREAK

"So, let me get this straight..." the thief once again watched the cloaked dragon lean against the wall, not having a core meltdown. "...the dragon defeated you, and you're still not angry?"

The cloaked dragon chuckled at her question, before he finally spoke: "Of course I'm not angry." What the cloaked dragon said made the thief even more confused, but still the dragon continued: "I'm not mad, because I see this defeat as an opportunity. An opportunity to finally get the Ucrono Hourglass in my possession..."

"Really?" the thief asked. "How does getting your dragon hide handed to you give you an opportunity?"

"You will soon find out..." the cloaked dragon said as he walked over to her. "And I'm sure you're good with explosives..."

"Of course I am..." the thief crossed her arms. "And I have plenty of them..."

"Good..." the cloaked dragon chuckled evilly. "Because we have work to do..."

LINE BREAK

The sun had gone down, and Sun and Haley were still on the roof training; after delivering one more karate kick to thin air, Haley fell over onto her belly, gasping for breath. "Sun, can we please stop now?"

Haley looked up at Sun, and found that her dragon master had an unpleased look on her face. "Haley, your enemies will not be so generous, so why should I be?"

Haley was about to respond, but before she could, there came a loud howl of agony, that made Haley jump up to her feet and walk over to Sun, who was now looking over the edge of the roof and was looking toward Central Park. "It sounded like it was coming from Central Park..." Sun reported.

"But what was it?" Haley asked.

"Well Haley..." Sun transformed into her dragon form before she grinned at Haley. "That's what we're going to find out..."

LINE BREAK

Fu Dog was lying on his back on the wooden floor of the shop with a ball in his mouth, while Lu Dog sat on the couch, staring off into space. However, that soon changed as Sun and Haley, both in dragon form, came down the stairs that led to the roof. Fu rolled over onto his belly and spit out the ball in their presence, and Lu Dog hopped off of the couch and slowly trotted over to the two dragons. She knew what this meant. "Let's go..." Lu Dog sighed sadly.

"No, Lu..." Sun told her. "You and Fu Dog stay here. Haley and I won't be gone long. Come on, Haley..."

Lu Dog watched with wide eyes as the two dragons left the shop. As soon as she heard the door close, Lu turned and jumped back onto the couch, a "YES!" escaping from her mouth.

LINE BREAK

After the door of Canal Street Electronics closed, both Sun and Haley flapped their wings, taking off into the night sky. After a few seconds, the thief, who had watched them take off, walked out of the alley with a grin on her face and a bag in her hand. The thief turned and opened the door, stepping inside.

In the back of the shop, Fu Dog looked up from where he was on the floor. "Did you hear something, puppy?" Fu asked, only to get a "No." as a response from the golden retriever on the couch. "Fine..." Fu muttered. "I'm going to go check it out..." Fu got up on all fours and walked out to the front room, only to gasp at what he saw. The thief was walking around the room, placing beeping orbs all over the room.

The grinning thief then turned and faced Fu, her grin fading. Before Fu could recover from the surprise, the thief had reached into her belt and pulled out her futuristic gun and pressed one of the buttons on it before firing it, shooting out a length of rope. By then, Fu had recovered from the surprise, and he jumped up onto the thief, making her grunt and fall backwards, the gun slipping from her grip and hitting the floor.

"Puppy, do you mind helping me out?" Fu turned his head to the back room. The thief took this opportunity to reach over and the grab, her fingers accidentally hitting another button, making it so that when she sat up and fired, a net shot out instead of rope.

The net slammed into Fu Dog, sending the shar-pei flying backwards, just as Lu came running out of the back room. Fu slammed into Lu Dog, knocking both of them over with the net on top of them. The thief's grin returned as she continued to place the beeping orbs around the shop.

LINE BREAK

Haley and Sun continued to fly high in the sky, until both dragons were able to see Central Park from where they were. Both dragons landed on the cool grass in the park, and Sun turned to Haley. "Alright, Haley." she told her pupil. "Look around for a sign of a hurt creature."

"Alright, Sun..." Haley replied, and she watched as Sun turned and started to search around the area. Haley followed Sun's example, and she turned the other way, searching around the park, looking at all of her surroundings. "Sun..." Haley called out. "Have you found anything yet?"

"No!" Haley could hear Sun call back. "Just keep looking, Haley!"

Haley turned her head back and continued her search, just when it happened again; a loud howl of agony rang out through the night. And it was close. Haley could feel it. Turning in the direction of where the sound came from, Haley started walking blindly. "Hello?" she called out. "Whoever you are, I'm here to help! Let me help you! But you have to help me find you! If you could just...signal me..."

As if the creature were listening to her, another howl rang out. Haley grinned, following the sound of the wails of fear. "That's it..." Haley called. "Keep on leading me to you...I'm want to help you!"

Another howl rang out through the night, and as Haley passed through a shrub bush, Haley found Sun, standing over a trap hole in the ground, the leafy covers all over the place. As another howl of agony came from the hole, Sun turned to Haley.

"It must have fallen in." Sun told her.

"Can you see anything?" Haley asked as she approached the hole and looked down, taking a look for herself. It was pitch black down in the hole, and Haley could see nothing. In that sense, Haley was not surprised when Sun answered: "No."

"I have to go down there..." Haley declared.

"I know, Haley..." Sun answered. "But it may be dangerous. That's why I'm coming with you."

Haley wanted to ask Sun why it would be dangerous to go down in the hole, but she thought better of it. Both master and dragon student then jumped into the hole, hitting the soft dirt not long after jumping in.

Both Haley and Sun blew a ball of fire into their claws so they could see better, but the second they had done so, they wished they hadn't. Haley gasped at what was lying in front of her: a large figure clad in a cloak. "No..." Haley could only say, but a maniacal laugh coming from the creature proved her correct.

"Hello, dragons..." the figure laughed as he stood up, turning to face them. The cloaked dragon stood in front of them, pointing a futuristic gun at them.

BLACKOUT; CUT TO COMMERCIAL

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

"You..." Haley gasped. She tried to step back, but she found pinned up against the wall of the hole. "What do you want?" Haley demanded.

"I want what I've wanted for quite a while now..." the cloaked dragon replied. "I want the Ucrono Hourglass in my possession."

"Well, we won't give it to you..." Sun growled. "You'll have to slay us first..."

"I plan to do that anyway..." the cloaked dragon growled. "But not now. Not until I have that Hourglass! And you're going to give it to me! That is, unless you want something bad to happen to that shop and those two dogs inside..."

LINE BREAK

The door to Canal Street Electronics opened wide, making the bell above the door ring, as Haley and Sun entered the shop, followed by the cloaked dragon, who was still holding the gun on them. Haley immediately saw the thief, who was placing orbs around the room.

"Are those bombs?" Haley asked.

"Very good, dragon..." the thief retorted, placing the final bomb on the floor. "Enough to blow up a large bank..."

"Now, now..." the cloaked dragon closed the door to the shop behind him, and he then walked over to the thief, all while keeping the futuristic gun on Sun and Haley. "There will be no need for the explosives. These two dragons have finally decided to give in and hand over the Ucrono Hourglass..." And then, the cloaked dragon leaned in and whispered something in the thief's ear; Haley assumed that the cloaked dragon thought that she couldn't hear him, but she could: "We'll blow it up with them inside it after we leave..."

"Where's Fu and Lu Dog?" Sun suddenly asked, and Haley jerked her head to where her dragon master was standing. The cloaked dragon chuckled as he left the thief's side and looked at Sun and Haley.

"I do not know the answer the question to that..." he replied. "Why don't you ask my friend here?"

"They're in the back room..." the thief growled. "Why don't you go in there, and then you can be reunited with them?"

"Is that where you are keeping the Ucrono Hourglass?" the cloaked dragon demanded, reaching over to the thief's hand as she held out something for him. As the cloaked dragon pulled his claws away from her, Haley's eyes widened as she saw that it was a detonator. "I ask you again...is the Ucrono Hourglass back there?"

Haley glanced at Sun, who kept her lips shut. After a moment, Haley finally heard Sun speak: "Yes." she said. "It's back there. We'll give you the Hourglass, if you give us back our friends."

"Certainly..." the cloaked dragon replied, relishing the control he had over the dragons. "I wouldn't have it any other way. Now let's go...Captive dragons first..."

As the cloaked dragon waved the gun in their faces, both Sun and Haley walked into the back room, where Haley could see Fu Dog and Lu Dog on the couch, trapped in a net; the net having a blinking orb on it. Both dogs were growling at the sight of the villains. "The dogs will perish along with you if you do not give me what I want..." the cloaked dragon growled in Haley's ear. "So, what are you waiting for?"

Haley glanced toward Sun, who sighed and started to walk over to the wall. Sun put her claws up to the wall and slid open part of the wall, revealing a keypad. Sun punched in a code, and a larger part of the wall slid open, revealing the safe.

"Excellent..." Haley could hear the cloaked dragon from behind her. Then, Haley could feel the cloaked dragon nudge her arm. "Alright, Korean Dragon...pull it out...And you, American Dragon...are to take the Hourglass out of the safe..."

Sun just stared at the cloaked dragon before she finally, reluctantly obliged the command. Sun grunted as she pulled the safe out of the place in the wall where it was hidden. Sun finally stopped and put her claws on the lock, entering in the code before opening the steel door. "Now open it..." the cloaked dragon growled to Haley, and the young American Dragon started to hesitate. Could she let these two villains get away with this? Even if it meant her death, shouldn't she fight them?

"Haley..." Sun spoke, breaking Haley out of her thoughts. "Haley, just get him what he wants. It'll be okay..."

Somehow assured by Sun's claim, Haley found herself walking over to the opened safe, almost as if she was a robot. Once she got to the safe, she reached into the safe, her claws wrapping around the Hourglass. Haley held her breath as she pulled out the Ucrono; looking down at the object in her hands, Haley turned around and faced the cloaked dragon.

"Well, hand it over..." the cloaked dragon growled, and Haley could tell that he was trying to remain patient. "If that Hourglass isn't in my hand in the next ten seconds, you will all pay with you own existence!"

Haley stared at the cloaked dragon, then looked down at the Ucrono before returning her gaze to the cloaked dragon. "I hate to break it to you, freak..." Haley growled. "But you're not getting this!"

"What?" the cloaked dragon roared, the thief backing up from beside him as he lifted his clawed hand with the detonator. "How dare you defy me, you little brat? Do you have a death wish?"

"You're going to slay us anyway..." Haley growled, her glare aimed at the two villains not breaking, not even as she slipped the Ucrono Hourglass over her neck. "Now, I have an idea: why don't you fight me like an actual dragon, instead of letting your explosives do all your talking for you!"

The cloaked dragon seemed taken aback by Haley's comment, but he soon recovered; with a roar of rage, the cloaked dragon leapt from his feet, dropping the futuristic gun and the bomb detonator as he soared toward Haley, his claws ready to attack.

Haley waited until exactly the right moment before she acted; just as the cloaked dragon was about to slam into her, Haley fell onto the floor on her back, and the cloaked dragon slammed right into the inside of the safe. Haley quickly got up, and just as the cloaked dragon recovered and tried to get out of the safe, grabbed onto the door and slammed it shut, locking the cloaked dragon inside. As Haley heard and felt the pounding of the cloaked dragon, she quickly spun the dial on the lock, mixing up the lock combination.

Once Haley was certain that the dragon was contained, she glanced backwards, seeing the thief scrambling for her futuristic gun, pointing it at Haley. "Haley, get out of the way!" Haley could hear Sun's voice, and only a second later, she could see Sun hovering in the air. Nodding, Halley leapt to the side, and Sun slammed her tail into the back of the safe, sending the safe off of the floor and towards the thief. The thief had no time to react, and before she could do anything, the safe slammed into her, slamming her and the safe into the wall, crashing through it, into the night and out of sight.

Haley sighed with relief, and both she and Sun reverted to their human forms. "We're going to have to find a new place to keep that Hourglass, Haley..." Sun finally said. "They'll be back, and they'll keep on coming back until they have it. As long as those two are around, the Ucrono will never be safe here..."

Haley simply nodded at her dragon master's words, and once she had finished speaking, Haley walked over to the couch, using her claws to free the two dogs from the net. Once free, the two dogs jumped to the ground. "Thanks for that..." Lu thanked as Fu looked at the hole in the wall.

"Let me guess..." the shar-pei groaned. "You want me to fix that?"

Haley didn't respond; instead, she walked over to Sun and picked up the detonator from the ground. "Destroy it..." Sun told her. Haley nodded and tossed the detonator into the air, roasting it and letting the flaming device hit the floor.

LINE BREAK

With her backpack slung over her shoulders, Haley panted as she sprinted toward her school. As she approached the school, she could see that Leah was sitting on the front steps, reading a textbook. "Hey, Leah..." Haley greeted as she came to a stop. As Haley panted, Leah closed the book and stood up.

"Hey, Haley..." Leah replied. "I tried to call you last night, but your Mom said that you were busy with something. She didn't say what, though..."

"It was dragon business..." Haley told her, just as the bell rang. "Hey, do you mind if I talk to you about something as we walk to class?"

"Sure, Haley..." Leah told her as the two walked up the steps and into the hallway. "Oh, but before you say what you need to, I need to tell you something..."

"What is it?"

"We've got a substitute..." Leah smiled. "Mrs. O'Yrael is in the ICU after what happened yesterday. I think it's going to be quite a while before she comes back...So, what is it that you wanted to tell me?"

"Well, I've been a little worried..." Haley admitted. "You've seen so many magical situations..."

"So?"

"Well, I've just been worried that what you see will just reinforce the belief that all dragons and other magical creatures are violent..." Haley then gasped when she noticed that Leah had stopped dead in her tracks.

Leah sighed. "Haley...I thought we were clear on this. I thought you knew how I felt..."

"I do!" Haley tried to explain. "You said that Sun taught you that nothing is just black and white. You know that there are good and bad dragons..."

"Exactly..." Leah cut her off. "Haley, I've encountered a dragon that tried to blow me up, a dragon that almost killed my brother...and my only friend is a dragon. Do you really think that there is any other dragon that can change my opinion of you, Haley?"

"Um..."

"Just say no..."

"No...?"

"Okay then..." Leah replied. "I trust you, Haley..."

"Thanks..." After thinking for a second, this was all Haley could think of as a response.

LINE BREAK

Haley groaned in exhaustion as she pushed open the door to the shop, the bell from above ringing. Haley walked over to the counter and slid off her backpack, dropping it on the table before she started to make her way over to the back room.

"Uh, I wouldn't go in there if I were you, kid..." Fu's voice suddenly made Haley stop in her tracks. Haley turned around and saw that both Fu and Lu Dog were peeking over the counter.

"Why?" Haley asked.

"Councilor Fachtna's here..." Fu answered.

"What is he doing here?"

"We're not really sure..." Lu answered for Fu. "He's talking to Sun about something..."

"Well, I'm going to go find out why he's here..." Haley narrowed her eyes as she walked into the back room, leaving Fu and Lu alone.

"Well, let the Councilor get mad at her..." Fu muttered as Lu glanced at him. "I warned her not to go in there. You need to give a dog a little credit..."

LINE BREAK

Once she passed into the back room, Haley could see Fachtna standing in front of Sun, his back to Haley, as Sun sat on the couch. "You made a wise decision, Dragon Park..." Fachtna was saying. "The dragon will not be able to find the Ucrono Hourglass on the Island of Draco..."

"I hope you're right, Councilor..." Sun replied, her eyes meeting Haley's. "Because he is very dangerous. He has managed his way inside this shop several times. I am also willing to bet that he is the one who hired Lu Dog for the break-in that took place not that long ago."

"Yes, well if you think that that changes anything with that dog..." Fachtna turned around, his eyes also meeting Haley's, and for some reason, Haley felt rather unnerved by the Head of the Dragon Council. "...you are incorrect..."

"All I'm trying to say..." Sun slowly stood up. "...is that he desperately wants that Hourglass. If he finds out that you are hiding it, he will make his way to your island..."

"And once he arrives, we will apprehend him..." Fachtna finished for her, a cocky grin on his face. "I assure you, Dragon Park, that the Ucrono Hourglass will be safe. In the meantime, we will research and try to find out why he wants this..."

"Thank you, Councilor..." Sun said. "That is most appreciated."

Facthna did not respond. Instead, he said: "We will find out...but until we do, I want you to hunt that criminal down..."

"Yes, Councilor..." Sun replied, and Haley walked over to Sun's side as Fachtna walked out of the room, the bell ringing from above the door as he left the shop. "Well, you heard him, Haley..." Sun turned to her. "He wants us to find the dragon..."

"I don't think that will take too much effort, Sun..." Haley answered. "After all, he wants that Hourglass..."

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: So, there you have it: Chapter/Episode 13. How was it? Please review.**

**And yeah, I know it's a little shorter than my previous chapter/episodes. Just a little bit. Oh well...**


	14. Chapter 14

American Dragon: Haley Long (Season One)

Chapter/Episode 14: My Conniving Valentine

Giant pink and red hearts were posted all over Millard Fillmore High School's walls, and a big banner which read _**Happy Valentine's Day To You and Your Sweetheart!**_ had been hanged up over the entrance to the cafeteria. Haley Long sighed as she sat down at a lone table, with a perfect view of the banner. Haley hated Valentine's Day...

Haley couldn't stand to look at all of the couples in the room; it made her feel ostracized. She didn't have a so-called sweetheart. Nobody would want to go out with a dragon. Haley tried to look down at her lunch tray, but she suddenly jerked her head back up as she heard a lunch tray dropping onto the table. Haley saw Leah, who sighed as she sat down at the table, putting her chin in her hands. "You hate Valentine's Day, too?" Leah asked.

"Of course..." Haley replied. "Why you?"

"The school loner, Haley..." Leah sighed, but then she made a face that made Haley think that Leah was rethinking what she had said. "I mean, it's not that I don't try to fit in..."

"I get it..." Haley struggled to keep from smiling. "You don't really fit in. I don't either..."

"I guess that's why we get along so well..." Leah mused with a small smile on her face as she picked up her burger. "However..." she suddenly added before she took a bite. "I think I have an idea..."

"What kind of idea?"

"Well, it's not going to be a bet or anything..." Leah explained. "But I think that we should both look for someone to, um...date...this Valentine's Day. I think it would be a nice change for once..."

"And you have the advantage..." Haley muttered. "Seeing as I'm a dragon..."

"That's not true..." Leah corrected. "You have the advantage. I'm sure that there are so many magical creatures that would want to go out with you. I mean, you're the freaking hero of the Magical World, for crying out loud!"

"Not exactly..." it was Haley's turn to do the correcting. "All that means is that there are plenty of magical creatures that want to do me in."

"Oh, come on, Haley!" Leah dropped her burger back onto the tray and moaned. "Come on! Just humor me! I have a good feeling about this! Who knows? Maybe we'll even find someone we're destined to spend the rest of our lives with..."

"I don't know..." Haley started, but when she saw the forming look of disappointment on Leah's voice, she sighed. Caving, Haley said: "Fine..."

As soon as Haley gave in, a wide grin spread across Leah's lips. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "I've got a great feeling about this, Haley! I don't think anything can go wrong!"

LINE BREAK

In a dark room of an abandoned building, the thief kneeled beside a large, steel safe. The thief reached over onto the floor and grabbed a scalpel, trying to pick open the lock. However, her attempt failed, and the blade of the scalpel merely snapped in half.

"What was that?" the voice from inside the safe demanded. "was that the lock?" But when he got no answer, the dragon trapped inside started to pound on the door. "GET ME OUT OF HERE, NOW! IF YOU DON'T GET ME OUT IN FIVE SECONDS, I WILL PERSONALLY DESTROY YOU!"

"Calm down, don't get your scales in a twist..." the thief growled as she reached into her belt and pulled out a futuristic gun. Standing up, the thief spoke again: "I'd stand back if I were you..." Then, the thief pulled the trigger, blasting a large hole in the steel door. A second later, the door came shooting off of its hinges and came crashing down onto the floor as the cloaked dragon climbed out. "Are you going to destroy me?" the thief asked, a sarcastic smile on her face.

"Shut up..." the cloaked dragon growled. "That blasted American Dragon! I swear that I will make her pay! And what better way to make her pay than to force her to willingly serve me..."

"What?" the thief asked, now confused.

"The American Dragon..." the cloaked dragon repeated, a smile creeping onto his face from behind his cloak. "...is going to hand deliver the Ucrono Hourglass to me..."

BLACKOUT; PLAY THEME SONG

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

"Okay, Haley..." Leah told her friend as the two walked through the mall. "I can feel it. This is a great idea. This is going to benefit us both...I'm sure we'll both be able to find someone..."

Haley looked around, looking at everyone walking around the large halls, walking into the stores. "Do you see anybody, Haley?" Haley could hear Leah asking from beside her.

"No..." Haley stated, but nonetheless, she continued looking around the mall. "No, I don't see-wait a minute..." Haley suddenly stopped her previous claim when she spotted two boys exiting one of the stores. One of the boys had dark brown hair that went down to the back of his neck, and he wore a leather jacket over an AC/DC T-Shirt and baggy and torn jeans. But he was not the boy that caught Haley's sight; the other boy was clean cut with combed black hair, a white, buttoned shirt and black work pants. Looking at these two, it was obvious that they were friends, but they looked like polar opposites; if Haley hadn't seen them talking to each other, she never would have guessed that they were friends.

"Come on, Haley..." Leah said again. "I'm sure we can find someone if we keep on looking..."

"Uh actually, Leah..." Haley turned toward her friend. "I should get going. Sun is probably wondering where I am. Maybe we can try this tomorrow..."

"But by tomorrow, Valentine's Day will be over..." Leah pouted.

"Well, maybe it just isn't meant to be..." Haley replied without thinking about what she said. Then, she turned and rushed away, leaving Leah alone.

LINE BREAK

Haley slowly pushed the door to Canal Street Electronics open, creeping in with the door only a sliver open. She couldn't let the bell ring; that would alert Sun, and then Haley wouldn't be able to even try to act like she had been there the entire time. Haley turned and gently closed the door behind her, before turning around, only to gasp.

Sun Park was standing in front of her, her arms crossed and with a displeased look on her face. "I tried calling you several time, Haley." she said. "Where have you been?"

"I'm sorry, Sun..." Haley apologized. "I was at the mall with Leah, and I left my communication device at home. Was there a magical emergency?"

Sun's gaze softened as her student apologized to her, and the Korean Dragon found herself sighing. "No..." Sun answered. "However, you are late for training..."

"I'm sorry, Sun..." Haley apologized once again, and she tried to walk passed Sun, but her master held out an arm, stopping her.

"Not so fast, Haley..." Sun said firmly. "We need to talk. I know you aren't used to this type of training, but the Dragon Council believes that my teaching methods are not fitted for the protector of the Magical World..."

"I know, Sun..."

"That is why I request that you show up on time for training, Haley..." Sun said softly. "And that is why I'm not being as lenient as I used to be..."

"You don't have to explain anything to me, Sun..." Haley replied. "I understand..."

LINE BREAK

"Papi's home!" Cupid shouted at the top of his lungs as he closed the door to his home behind him. His basket of arrows still on his back, the holiday mascot hovered across the room. "Baby, where are you?" he called out. "You didn't leave your Papi home alone, did you?"

Cupid stopped just in front of the kitchen, and he peered inside. "Baby?" he asked, just as a dark figure stepped up from behind him. Cupid seemed to sense the presence behind him, and he turned around, only to gasp in shock as something smacked him. Cupid went flying backwards, and he slammed into the kitchen wall, grunting as he fell to the ground.

Cupid slowly and weakly brought his head up from where he was laying on the floor, only to gasp as he saw that his bow and arrows were lying on the floor, where his attacker, which he could now see was a cloaked figure, bent down and picked them up.

"Thanks so much..." the cloaked figure spoke. "You have no idea how much these are going to help me..." Then, the cloaked figure started to laugh; a laugh that sent shivers down Cupid's spine.

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Lu Dog sat on the couch in the back room of the shop, looking at Fu Dog, as the shar-pei slept on the wooden floor. Frowning, Lu Dog jumped down from the couch and was about to wake Fu up, just as the door to the shop opened and Cupid flew in. Cupid looked back and forth, and he finally saw the two dogs. "HELP!" Cupid shouted, making Lu Dog scramble back as Fu shot up off of the ground and onto all fours.

"Huh? What?" Fu asked. "What's going on?" After shaking his head, Fu Dog blinked a couple of times before he realized who was in front of him. "Hey, hey! It's Cupid! What can we do for ya, buddy?"

"Weren't you paying attention?" Cupid panicked. "HELP ME!"

LINE BREAK

Haley now sat next to Sun on the couch while Fu and Lu Dog stood on the opposite sides of Cupid. "And then, the figure took my magic arrows of love!" Cupid explained. "You see, now I don't know what to do..."

As Cupid finished explaining his problem, Haley looked at Sun. "It sounds like the one who stole Cupid's arrows is our dragon friend..."

"Yes, it would appear that Cupid's description fits him..." Sun seemed to think about this. "But then again, we cannot be certain. It could have been another..."

"But who?" Haley asked. "Who else would have some sort of motive to do this?"

"That is why I don't think it was our dragon..." Sun stood up from the couch. "He wants the Ucrono, not Cupid's bow and arrows. Cupid, is there any enemy you may have? One that might want to hurt you like this?"

"No, Papi has no idea..."

Sun didn't answer; instead, she turned and stared at Haley. "Haley..." she said. "Dragon emergency..."

LINE BREAK

The cloaked dragon chuckled evilly as he held one of Cupid's arrows in his claws. "This time I will finally get what I want..." he said amidst a chuckle, as the thief just stared at him. "I take it you don't understand what I am thinking, am I right?"

"It would appear that way..."

"Don't worry..." the cloaked dragon replied. "You'll see just how genius this plan is..."

"Then I take it you don't need my help with this one..." the thief then turned and started to walk toward the exit. "I've helped you enough, so I think I've earned my ticket out of here. Pay me back the money you owe me once you've destroyed that dragon..."

But before the thief could leave the room, her hand started to glow a bright green color, and she found herself being pulled back to the cloaked dragon, who was raising his claws. As the thief reached the cloaked dragon, the cloaked dragon lowered his claws, and the thief's hand stopped glowing. "You aren't going anywhere until I get that Hourglass. And today, you are going to help me get it..."

LINE BREAK

Haley groaned as she sat in the back room, in front of a ten year old computer screen. Haley used the mouse to scroll down a page that had the name of every single criminal in the Magical World. Haley suddenly yelled out in frustration as the page on the screen froze. "Darn monitor!" Haley cursed as slammed her fists down on the table, making both Fu and Lu Dog look up from where they were on the floor.

"Is everything okay, kid?" Fu asked. "Maybe you should take a little break..."

"No, I'm okay..." Haley took a deep breath before returning her attention to the computer screen. "It's just...nobody uses computers anymore..." As Haley spoke, Lu hopped onto the table and looked at the screen.

"Well, I guess it's nice that the Council has a website with all of the Magical World's criminals..." Lu said. "That way, it's easier to find out who could be behind this..."

"Yeah..." Haley turned and grinned at Lu. "You're on here, too!"

"What?" Lu asked, taking the mouse with her paws and scrolling up until she found herself on the screen. "Oh..."

"Now, can you please let me get back to work?" Haley asked. The golden took one look at the American Dragon before she complied, jumping onto the floor and laying back down. Haley sighed and continued to scroll down the page, just as Sun entered the room. Sun sighed as she stopped in front of Haley.

"No matter how hard I try to help him, Cupid can't think of anyone who would want to steal from him..." Sun said. "Haley, keep looking. Our thief has to be in there somewhere."

"Where's Cupid now?" Haley asked.

"He went home..." Sun answered. "We'll just have to keep looking..."

"Alright, Sun..." Haley answered. "But what exactly should I look for? A criminal who has been known to steal? I mean, I personally think we should look for that dragon. What if it is him, and we're wasting our time looking for criminals who are either in a prison cell or had nothing to do with this?"

"Well, kid..." Fu stood up and walked over to Sun and Haley. "You have to figure that out yourself. As a dragon, you're going to have to take a couple things into your own claws. I know from experience, kid. If you have a hunch, go for it..."

"Sun..." Haley immediately started to take the shar-pei's advice. "I really think it was that dragon. I think he is the one who did this. The description Cupid gave matched perfectly."

Sun just looked at her student for a moment before she nodded. "Alright, Haley..." Sun said. "I'll look to see if there could be any other possible suspects. I want you to take Lu Dog and go out to see if you can find any proof that it was him..."

LINE BREAK

Haley exited Canal Street and stepped into the cold night, followed by Lu Dog. "So, what are we doing?" Lu asked.

"We're going out for that dragon..." Haley replied. "Dragon up!" In a bright light, Haley's pink dragon form appeared, replacing her human form. "Get on, Lu Dog..." Haley said, getting down on all fours. Lu reacted quickly and jumped onto Haley's back. "Now hang on..."

Haley then turned to the side and was about to take off into the air, only to freeze when she saw two people walking down the sidewalk; as they got closer, Haley could see that they were the two boys from the mall.

The two were talking; about what, Haley did not know what. The clean cut boy turned his head from his friend and his eyes bore into Haley's; the boy stopped in his tracks and his mouth gape. His friend also stopped when he saw Haley, but unlike his friend, he smiled. "What's a matter, Rob?" he asked his friend. "Afraid of a dragon?"

"Shut up, Connor..." the clean-cut boy grumbled back before he stared right at Haley. "Uh...do you mind...moving? You know, so we can get by? Not to be rude or anything..." From his side, his friend, Connor, scoffed.

"Then why are you asking her to move?" Connor asked. "Can't we just go by her? Jeez..."

As this confrontation was happening, neither Haley and Lu nor the two humans noticed as a cloaked dragon flew down onto the roof of the building right across from Canal Street Electronics holding a woman. As soon as the cloaked dragon set his feet down, he let go of the thief and reached into his cloak, pulling out the bow and arrows.

"So, what's your plan?" the thief asked. "Just tell me it's going to work so I can go..."

"Be quiet..." the cloaked dragon growled as he took aim with one of the bows. "Don't mess up my aim..."

LINE BREAK

Sun sat at the desk, looking at all of the criminals of the Magical World. Thinking for a moment, Sun clicked on one of the pictures, which took her to a page with the picture of a goblin. "Herbert?" Sun asked bas she read the page on the screen. However, just the mention of the goblin's name was enough to make the shar-pei on the wooden floor lift his head up.

"What?" Fu asked. "Did you just say Herbert?"

"It appears that Herbert the Goblin spent a few months in a magical prison for trying to steal Santa's bag..." Sun said, reading from the computer. As soon as she finished, Sun got up from the stool and transformed into her sky blue dragon form in a bright flash. "This sounds exactly like what just happened to Cupid..."

"That doesn't mean..." Fu started, but Sun cut him off.

"While Haley and Lu Dog are looking into that dragon, this is the only lead we have..." Sun said. "Fu, look after the shop while I'm gone. I should be back shortly."

LINE BREAK

The thief watched as the cloaked dragon took aim at the pink dragon down in the streets. However, something drew the thief's attention away from the cloaked dragon and into the sky: the sky blue dragon for of the Korean Dragon flew up out of the shop, speeding away from the shop from above.

"The American Dragon's master!" the thief exclaimed, but the cloaked dragon merely smiled.

"It's a good thing she didn't see us..." Then, the cloaked dragon pulled the string back and let go of it. The arrow sped off of the building roof, soaring over to Haley, hitting her in the shoulder; as the arrow hit Haley, it exploded into nothing except pink hearts. Yelping in surprise, Haley jerked her head to the side, catching sight of the cloaked dragon, just as he landed right beside her.

"You know what, Connor?" Rob said, slowly backing up along with his friend.

"No. What?"

"I think we should scram..."

"Good idea..." Then, both boys turned and fled, running down the sidewalk and out of the sight as quickly as possible.

"Hello, American Dragon..." the cloaked dragon chuckled, grinning from behind his cloak as Haley just stared blankly at him. "Goodbye, traitor dog..." the cloaked dragon then slammed his tail into the growling golden retriever, sending her flying backwards and crashing through the glass front door of Canal Street Electronics before turning back to Haley. "...And I'm so sorry..." the cloaked dragon chuckled again. "...But I just can't return your feelings..." Then, he slammed his tail right into Haley's head.

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Sun Park stopped flapping her wings and she landed on the ground, she was in Magus Bazaar. Making her way toward the dark shadows that covered the run-down, poor part of the bazaar, Sun started to look around until she heard a small, but devious nonetheless chuckle coming from behind her. Turning around, Sun came face to face with the very goblin she was looking for...

"Well, well, well..." Herbert chuckled, slowly approaching her with two large troll bodyguards behind him. "The Korean Dragon...What are you doing here? You've got a lot of nerve..."

Despite the possible danger she was now in, Sun Park simply grinned. "Herbert..."

LINE BREAK

Fu Dog had heard the crash from the back of the shop, and when he rushed out to the front, he was surprised to see Lu Dog lying on the floor, amidst a small sea of broken glass. "Puppy..." Fu called out to her, just as the golden slowly lifted her head. "Are you okay?"

"Uh...yeah..." Lu groaned as she stood on all fours, only to realize that she was standing, trapped, around sharp shards of glass. With her current situation, it took Lu Dog a moment to realize what had just happened outside, and it wasn't until she heard Fu's voice that it clicked.

"What happened out there?" Fu asked.

"Fu Dog!" Lu quickly explained. "I think Haley's in trouble! That dragon came and hit Haley with one of Cupid's love arrows! We need to help her!"

"So it was that dragon..." Fu muttered before he turned and started to rush to the back room.

"Wait!" Lu Dog called, making Fu turn back to face her. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to contact Sun..." Fu told her. "And I'm going to tell her that it was that dragon...and that Haley needs help..."

"But what about me?" Lu asked, looking down at the glass on the floor, but by the time she looked back up at Fu, he had disappeared into the back room. "Not cool, Fu!" Lu called out.

LINE BREAK

Both of Herbert's thugs quickly attacked, running at Sun, ready to pummel her. Sun's grin did not fade, and just as both of the trolls tried to hit her, she flew into the air, releasing a blast of fire, making the two trolls run back and hide behind Herbert.

"What do you think you're doing?" Herbert demanded, pointing up at Sun. "Your job is attack her, not hide like a bunch of sissy babies!" However, despite Herbert's words, the trolls still cowered behind their boss.

This gave Sun the perfect opportunity to attack; flying down to the goblin and his troll lackeys, Sun slammed her tail into all three of them. As the two trolls flew backwards, rolling across the ground, the screeching Herbert shot up into the air, and as he started to come down, Sun flew up to him and caught him in her claws and slamming him against the brick wall of the nearest building.

"Please!" Herbert instantly begged, trying his best to put his hands to his face when Sun was clutching onto his shoulders. "I didn't mean it!"

"You have explaining to do, Herbert..." Sun growled.

"I...I...I..." Herbert stuttered. "I...I don't know what you're talking about!"

This claim made Sun press down harder on Herbert, forcing him harder against the wall. "Cupid's bow and arrows were stolen, Herbert..." Sun growled. "Now, you are the only magical creature that I can find in the magical records who has spent time in prison for stealing a magical item..."

"No, no!" Herbert panicked. "I didn't steal his bow and arrows!"

"Give me one good reason why I should believe you..."

"Think about it!" Herbert uncharacteristically pleaded. "What good would those arrows do me? What could I accomplish with them?"

"What good would Santa's bag be to you?" Sun questioned, hoping to trick the goblin into giving her a reason for possibly stealing the bow and arrows.

"I didn't steal them!" Herbert defended. "I was caught before I could steal it! Besides, I had a reason for doing what I tried to do..."

"And what was that reason?" Sun asked, loosening her grip on the goblin.

"He owed me a bunch of dough!" Herbert spilled. "And he was going to chicken out and cheat me! I just tried to get back what he owed me..."

"Cupid doesn't owe you any money?"

"No!" Herbert answered quickly. "I've never even met Cupid! Look around! I don't have the arrows!"

Sun slowly started to loosen her grip on the goblin, until she had completely released him and the goblin landed on his feet. "Alright..." Sun said. "I'm going to look around, and you are going to stay right here. If I find anything..."

After her warning, Sun turned and started to look around the area, looking down at the ground, searching for any sign of the arrows. Just as Sun was about to take another step into the dark alley with piles of litter on the ground, Sun suddenly jumped slightly in surprise as she heard a ringing coming from her person. It took Sun a moment for it to register for Sun that the ringing was her communication device; reverting to her human form, Sun pulled out her device and pressed a button, omitting a holographic image of Fu Dog.

"Sun!" the shar-pei immediately barked. "We've got a problem!"

"What is it Fu Dog?"

"According to the puppy..." Fu reported. "It was that dragon that stole the bow and arrows..."

"What makes her so sure?"

"Maybe it was because she saw the dragon shoot Haley with one of the arrows..." Fu muttered sarcastically. "Sun, you really gotta come back. We have to find her. I've called Marty, but his compass couldn't detect her."

"Then she's not in any real mortal danger..." Sun said. "Which means we have some time to find her. Alright, I'll get back as quickly as I can..." As the image of Fu disappeared, Sun turned and looked at Herbert. "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding."

"Don't try to apologize, Korean Dragon..." Herbert hissed. "I won't forget about this!"

For once in this encounter, Sun didn't know how to respond. Without another word, Sun flapped her wings and flew off, leaving Herbert alone.

LINE BREAK

Back at the shop, looked down at a map placed down on a table, surrounded by Fu and Lu Dog. Sun pointed from one location to another. "This is where Haley faced him once before Lu Dog became ill..." Sun sighed. "And this is where Haley fought him for the safe...Unfortunately, this gives us no clue as to where he's holding her..."

"I wish there was something we could do..." Lu muttered, turning her attention from the map and to Marty's golden orb on the table. "So, it glows when the soul is in mortal danger?"

"Yes..." Sun answered.

"Well, I hate to say it..." Fu stated. "But I think the only way we will end up finding her is if she needs to be saved..."

LINE BREAK

At the cloaked dragon's run-down lair, the thief finished wrapping a long length of chains around Haley and a wooden beam in the middle of the room before locking it, binding the still unconscious dragon to the post, just as the cloaked dragon strode into the room. "These should hold her..." the thief said. "But I still don't get what you're planning..."

"Really?' the cloaked dragon grinned from behind his hood. "I would think it would be simple."

"Well it isn't..."

"Well, then I guess I should fill you in..." the cloaked dragon's grin widened. "I shot her with one of Cupid's arrows. certainly, she must now love me and want to do anything for me. I will order her to get me the Ucrono Hourglass. That way, I will not have to break into that shop again. Then, we shall dispose of her..."

LINE BREAK

Back at the shop, Sun sighed as she folded the map. "Isn't there something we can do?" Lu Dog asked, looking at how frustrated Sun looked. "I mean, can't we just go out and look fo..."

"Puppy, look!" Fu suddenly cut her off and pointed at the orb on the table. When Lu looked, her eyes widened. The orb was now glowing. "That means we can get her back..."

Sun must have seen the orb, for the next thing both dogs knew, Sun had transformed into a dragon and had snatched the orb in both of her claws. Turning to Lu, she spoke: "Let's go..."

LINE BREAK

Haley groaned as she started to come back to the world of reality. As he heard his captive, the cloaked dragon grinned again and walked over to the chained dragon just as she lifted her head up and opened her eyes.

"Hello, my little prisoner of love..." the cloaked dragon chuckled evilly as Haley's eyes widened and she tugged at the chains holding her, a longing look on her face. "Aw, how sweet. Well, my little dragon. Do you want to earn my affection?"

Haley nodded her head repeatedly. "Y...Y...Y...Yes..."

"Well, I don't know..." the cloaked dragon pretended to think about it. "I'm a pretty hard dragon to win..."

"I'll do anything!" Haley exclaimed. "Anything! You name it!"

"Anything?" the cloaked dragon pretended to be surprised. "You mean, even stealing the Ucrono Hourglass for me?"

"Of course!"

"Well..." once again, the cloaked dragon pretended to think about it. "Alright...Now, I'll release you..." The cloaked dragon then prepared to slice through Haley's chains, but before he could, part of the wall to his side was blown away by a large fireball as Sun flew inside, Lu Dog on her back. "What the...?" the cloaked dragon jerked her head up, just as Lu Dog jumped off and landed on the cloaked dragon, biting at him.

Sun, on the other hand, eyed the thief, who quickly reached into her belt and pulled out her futuristic gun. Sun sped over to her and smacked her hand before she could fire, making the gun fall out of her hand and onto the floor. The thief scowled at Sun, but Sun smacked her tail into her chest, sending her flying back, crashing down against a table, which the bow and arrows were placed. The bow and arrows fell to the floor, and the thief quickly grabbed the bow and one of the arrows, quickly firing it in a fit of rage.

Sun reacted quickly and ducked, the arrow flying by her and toward the cloaked dragon, just as he threw Lu Dog off of him and onto the floor and onto the ground before facing them. The arrow hit the cloaked dragon in the chest, exploding into purple hearts. "Oh no..." the thief muttered, and then, the thief jumped to her feet and tried to run away, but before she could even get two feet away, the cloaked dragon landed in front of her and wrapped his arms around her, trapping her in a tight hug.

"I love you!" the cloaked dragon claimed in-between kisses.

"No! Let go of me!" the thief shouted, struggling futilely. "Let go of me! I hate you!" But still, this did not make the magically-induced love-sick dragon let go.

Grinning, Sun got up and turned to Haley, as Lu approached her. Haley was struggling against the chains, shouting about her love for the cloaked dragon. "We need to free her from the arrows..." Lu muttered.

Sun didn't answer; instead, she took one of the arrows, took aim, and fired at Haley. The arrow hit the dragon, exploding into blue, broken-in-two hearts. Haley immediately stopped shouting and stared at Sun and then glanced down at Lu. "You heard all of that, didn't you?" Haley's question was met with the golden nodding, while Sun did nothing.

"Never mention it again..." Haley growled amidst the thief's shouting.

LINE BREAK

"Here you go, Cupid..." Sun said as she handed the holiday mascot his bow and arrows back, back in the shop the next afternoon.

"Papi thanks you, Korean Dragon..." Cupid thankfully took the arrows. "I hope it wasn't too much trouble..."

"None at all..." Sun said. It really wasn't much of a lie; there were other missions that had been more of a pain.

Sun watched as Cupid flew out of the shop, the door closing behind him. Sun was about to walk to the back of the room, but before she could, the bell above the door rang out once again as the door opened; Sun turned around and could see both Haley and Leah entering the shop. Haley dropped her backpack on the ground and walked over to Sun. "Sun, do you mind if I go to the mall with Leah?"

"You don't need to ask for my permission, Haley..."

"But with dragon training..."

Sun smiled warmly at Haley's words. "It's okay, Haley. I think you've earned a day off from training. You can go have fun with Leah..."

"I'd hardly call it fun..." Leah said from behind Haley. "We're just going to talk about how bad our Valentine's Days were..."

"Well..." Sun tried to think of a way to respond. "...I guess that could be fun...At least you two have something in common..."

LINE BREAK

Haley sighed a sigh of relief as she and Leah stepped out of the shop. "I'm sorry about Sun..." Haley apologized. "Sometimes I think that she just doesn't get it..."

"That's okay..." Leah said as the two started to walk.

"Well, I take it you didn't have any luck with finding someone..." Haley guessed.

Leah sighed. "You'd be correct on that one."

"It's okay, Leah..." Haley couldn't help but smile. "I mean, your Valentine's Day couldn't have been worse than mine..."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, I fell in love with an evil, disgusting, older dragon..." By this time, they had reached the mall, and Haley turned her head to see that Leah now looked disturbed. "But it wasn't real!" Haley tried to explain. "I was under the control of Cupid's love arrows..."

"Oh..." Leah seemed relieved by this. "Well, you're right. You win..."

Haley nodded, and then the two girls went up to the automatic sliding doors, but before they could get close enough, the doors slid open and the two boys, Rob and Connor stepped out, only to see both of the girls, making both of them stop in their tracks.

"Oh, sorry..." Connor apologized, grabbing his friend by the arm and walking him back inside of the shopping mall. "Come inside..."

However, Haley was not paying attention to this boy; instead, she was staring at the other boy, Rob. "Come on, Haley..." Leah told her, and the two girls walked inside. As they walked past the two boys and further into the mall, Haley looked over her shoulder and watched as the two boys walked out of the mall, the sliding doors closing behind them.

As soon as they were gone, Haley resumed to looking around the mall, a large grin spreading across her face.

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: So, there it is. What did you think? Please review?**


	15. Chapter 15

American Dragon: Haley Long (Season One)

Chapter/Episode 15: You Remember Me? I Remember Your Brother

Various pictures of various family members were all over the walls of the Belden house. Leah sat on the floor in the middle of the room with a notebook on her lap and a pen in her hand as her brother, Ian, stepped out of the kitchen with a can of soda in his hand. Snapping the can open and taking a sip, Ian walked over to his little sister and looked down at her. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"I'm writing my speech for graduation." Leah answered without looking up. "Principal Alexus wanted me to make it. So, I'm working hard..."

"Well, I'm sure you'll do fine..." Ian tried to be optimistic.

"I hope so..." Leah replied. "Ian, do you mind?"

"Mind what?" Ian asked, but the second he finished asking this, Leah's meaning hit him. "Oh, okay. Sorry for bothering you..." Ian then turned and started to walk into the kitchen, but a sudden crashing noise and a scream of fear coming from his sister made him stop and turn around.

Ian could see that there was now a hole through the window, and there was a brick on the floor; Leah was cowering against the wall. "Are you okay?" Ian asked, and although it took a moment, Leah nodded. "Okay, just...stay where you are..." Ian advised.

Leah nodded quickly, and Ian walked over to the brick. Bending down, Ian grabbed the brick and stared down on it.

BLACKOUT; PLAY THEME SONG

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Meanwhile, at the Long household, Haley was laying on her back, holding a paddle-ball, bouncing the ball repeatedly off of the paddle, sighing in boredom. Haley kept her eyes on the ball the entire time, even as her father exited the kitchen and walked over to his daughter. "What are you doing, Haley-hoo?' he asked.

"Nothing..." Even as she answered, Haley kept her eyes on the ball that was bouncing off of the paddle.

"Well, gee..." Jonathan Long was rather surprised. "That's awfully unlike you, Halers...I mean, don't you have dragon training or something?"

With her father's mention of this, Haley immediately stopped paddling the ball, and sighed as she sat up. "Dad..." Haley spoke after a moment of silence. "There has been no need for the American Dragon."

"What are you talking about?" Jonathan asked nervously.

"The American Dragon hasn't been needed since February..." Haley repeated. "It's now June. There haven't been any crimes committed in the Magical World. It's a little weird. Even Sun isn't doing anything, though. She finally just told me that I could have a few days off from training."

"Oh..." Jonathan was at a loss of words. "That's good...I guess..."

"Yeah, well..." Haley continued. "At least that gives me time for the interview for the college I want to go to. Hopefully, the representative will be here shortly."

LINE BREAK

Haley could feel herself shaking as the representative from the college sat down at the kitchen table. The representative was a petite woman of about forty; she wore a dark red jacket and skirt, and her brown hair was up in a ponytail. "Please sit, Miss Long..." the woman ordered softly. With her parents at her side, Haley pulled back a chair and sat down, staring the representative right in the eyes.

"Miss Long..." the representative started.

"Please..." Haley cut her off. "...Just call me Haley."

"Miss Long..." the representative ignored her. "I'm sure you are curious as to why I asked to come down here..."

"I just thought it meant that you wanted to get to know our daughter..." Susan spoke up.

"Actually, I'm afraid not..." the representative sighed. "Miss Long, your test scores are the highest we've seen, but unfortunately..."

"What?" Haley asked.

"Unfortunately..." the representative repeated before continuing. "It is the fact that you are a dragon that greatly worries us..."

"What?" Haley was shocked. "But...why...?"

"Well, you see Miss Long..." the representative continued. "We have never had a dragon on our campus before. And although it is not my decision, the school board for the university would like to keep it that way..."

"Wait, are you telling me that my daughter can't go to the school she wants to go to, even though she has the grades, because she's a dragon?" Jonathan was shocked, but anger was quickly taking its place as the central emotion that he felt.

"Basically...yes..." the representative gave a very small, sad smile. The smile was directed at Haley, but the teenage girl did not see it; burying her face in her hands, Haley jumped from her seat and hurried out of the kitchen; a minute later, everyone in the kitchen could hear the slamming of a nearby door. "Mr. and Mrs. Long..." the representative tried to reason. "Please know that this wasn't a de..."

"I think you'd better leave..." Susan cut her off.

The representative did not say anything more; instead, she nodded and stood. Both Susan and Jonathan watched as the woman left the kitchen, and together, they heard the front door open and close. "I'm going to go check on Haley." Susan told her husband as she started to walk out of the kitchen.

LINE BREAK

Leah panted heavily as sprinted down the sidewalk, her heart pounding against her chest; her run was only made harder by the brick she clutched in her hand. In her head, she could still hear Ian calling her name as she ran out the front door and into the night. Leah's heart leapt for joy as she saw Haley's house close by.

With only a couple more feet, Leah turned and ran up the steps, using her free hand to pound on the door. By the time Leah could hear the lock from the inside being clicked, her heart had started to slow down, and she found that it was becoming easier to breathe. The door was then pulled open, and Leah could see Susan Long standing in the doorway, looking at her.

"Oh..." Susan seemed surprised to see her, but she soon overcame her surprise. "Why, hello Leah."

"I need to talk to Haley..."

"Listen Leah, I don't think tonight is the best time..."

"But it's important!"

"Listen, I'm sure you two can talk about it tomorrow in school..." Susan tried to reason with the girl on her front porch, but just by looking at her face, Susan could see just how persistent Leah was going to be. With a sigh, Susan gave in. "Alright, come in..."

"Thank you..." Leah replied, stepping into the house.

"Make yourself at home..." Leah could hear Susan from behind her. Leah nodded, and she walked over to the couch, placing the brick on the coffee table before sitting down.

"Where's Haley?" Leah asked, but she didn't have to wait long to get her answer. Leah turned her head at the sound of a loud sniffle, and Leah could see Haley exiting a room, rubbing her eye. Leah could tell that the girl had been crying. "Haley, I'm sorry if this is a bad time, but I need to talk to you..."

"About what?" Haley's voice cracked.

Leah didn't answer verbally; instead she grabbed the brick, got up from the couch and held up the brick for the American Dragon to see.

"This was thrown through my window..."

LINE BREAK

The next day at school, Leah sighed as she walked out of the door of her science class, amongst a crowd of about twenty people. Leah passed through the door, but the other twenty students passed her, making her grunt as she felt herself being jerked to the sides. As soon as the students had passed, Leah breathed a sigh of relief and she scanned the hallway, finally sighting Haley placing one of her books in her locker.

"Haley!" Leah called as she rushed over to her friend, just as Haley turned around. "Haley, I'm sorry that I caught you at a bad time last night. What even happened?"

"I didn't get into the college I wanted to..." Haley muttered.

"What?" Leah was shocked. "I don't buy that! You have the highest grades in our class, except for maybe in O'Yrael's class..."

"It's because I'm a dragon..." Haley growled before she sighed. "I guess I'll never be able to get into a good school."

"I'm sure that's not true..." Leah tried to say something positive. "I know you'll get into a good college. And I'm not trying to sound greedy, but what about my problem? A brick was thrown through my window. What if my life is in danger?"

"I gave the brick to Sun..." Haley explained as they started to walk down the hallway. "She's inspecting it. Maybe there is something we can find out something about it..."

"You mean like who threw it?"

"Probably not..." Haley answered. "But you never know..."

LINE BREAK

Leah sighed a sigh of relief as she and Haley stopped in front of Canal Street Electronics. Haley pushed the door open, making the bell above it ring out, and the two stepped inside the shop. "Sun, are you here?" Haley called out, and the next thing both girls knew, Fu Dog trotted into the room.

"Hey kids..." the shar-pei said. "Sun's back there looking at that brick was thrown through Leah's window..."

"Sun..." Haley repeated, and she and her friend walked passed Fu and into the back room. Both girls could see Sun sitting at the table, picking at the brick with her claws. At the mention of her name, Sun looked up and greeted them with a nod. Lu Dog was behind Sun, lying on the couch, chewing on a bone.

"Find anything odd?" Haley asked.

"Well, not at the moment, but I'm looking..." Sun answered, returning her gaze to the brick. Sun continued to chisel at the brick, but as she traced the side of the brick with her claws, Sun's eyes widened as the brick cracked open. "That's odd..." Sun muttered to no one in particular, even as the brick started to crack and completely crumble away, leaving a pile of dust, a piece of paper sticking out the pile.

"What is that?" Haley asked, Leah peeking over her shoulder.

"I don't know, Haley..." Sun reached down and pulled it out of the pile, revealing to Haley and Leah that the paper was folded in half. Sun unfolded the paper, looking at whatever was written on it; Sun's eyes widened and her lips parted.

"Sun, what is it?" Haley asked, but Sun didn't answer. Instead, she handed the paper directly to Leah, who took it and read it; as Leah read it, Haley could see that whatever was written on it had the same effect on Leah that it had on Sun.

Curious, Haley walked behind her friend and peered over her shoulder, taking a look for herself, and what she saw surprised her, making her eyes widen and her heart feel like it was rising up to her throat. Written on the piece of paper were two simple words:

_Miss Me?_

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

At first, Haley thought she had read the words wrong. _Miss Me? _What the heck could that possibly mean. Haley had decided to take another look at the piece of paper, but she still read the exact same words. "What does it mean?" Haley asked, turning her head to Leah, only to see that her friend was shaking, her eyes wide with fear, rapidly blinking in order to prevent tears of fear. "Leah, what's wrong?"

"It's him..." was all Leah could say.

"Who?" Lu Dog asked, who had been drawn from her bone by the scene unfolding in front of her very eyes.

"The dragon that attacked Ian!" Leah exclaimed, clenching her fist and crumpling up the piece of paper.

"But Leah..." Haley asked. "Wasn't that like five years ago?"

"So what?"

"Well, have you ever gotten one of these before?" Haley tried to word her question in a way that wouldn't set the girl beside her off. "Is it...an annual thing?"

"No!" Leah exclaimed, turning to Haley. "It's never happened before! Never in these five years! But I know it's him! I can feel it..."

"Haley..." Haley could hear Sun's voice from the couch. Turning her head, Haley stared right into Sun's eyes. "Haley, Leah could be in grave danger. Her whole family could be, for that matter. You and Lu need to take her to place where she will be safe."

"Why me?" Lu asked.

"Because it is your duty as an animal guardian..." Sun replied, glaring at the golden before staring at Haley. "...And it is your duty as the American Dragon..."

LINE BREAK

Haley could feel the cool air of the night hit her face as she exited the shop, along with Leah and Lu Dog. "Haley, I just want to go home..." Leah told Haley as the three started to walk down the sidewalk. "I'll be fine. My parents won't let that dragon come near Ian..."

"Are you sure?" Haley asked.

Before Leah could respond, the golden retriever walking alongside her spoke up: "Haley, listen to your friend. She's says she wants to go home. So, let's take her home..."

"You're only saying that because you don't want to be bothered..." Haley snapped.

"Yeah..." Lu muttered. "What did you expect?"

"Something more from an animal guardian..." Haley shot back.

"Guys, can you just stop?" Leah finally just asked. "I don't need this right now. Look, we're almost there. You can argue once I go inside..."

And sure enough, both Haley and Lu Dog could see Leah's house close by. "Well, I think I can take it from here..." Leah said as she took a couple feet away from Haley and Lu; but as she watched her friend, Haley just couldn't get rid of the feeling that something wasn't quite right.

"Haley, let's get back to the shop..." Haley could hear Lu Dog, even though she could not see her. "I'd like to get back to that bone..." Haley could even hear the jingling of Lu's collar as she started to walk away. Haley didn't care, though. Instead, Haley turned her head, looking into the sky. Something wasn't quite right...

And then, she saw it. A fireball coming right for them-to be more precise, a fireball big enough to incinerate all three of them was coming toward them. "LEAH!" Haley shouted, sprinting over to Haley and slamming into her; both girls toppled to the ground as the fireball slammed into the building that the three were in front of, making it go up in flames.

"Haley what are you doing?" Haley could hear Leah grunting under her weight, and Haley could feel herself being jerked to the side, which was fortunate, seeing as Haley could now see another five fireballs soaring toward them.

"Come on!" Haley yelled, forcing Leah to her feet, and forcing her into the streets, just as the fireballs all hit the building; this was enough for the building, and it finally exploded, the explosion knocking Leah and Haley off of their feet as splintered glass shot passed them.

The two girls groaned as they slowly stood up. Haley glanced back at the building. "Where's Lu Dog?" she could feel her heart sinking, but to her relief, she could hear the jingling from the golden retriever's collar, and only a moment later, Haley could see Lu Dog rushing up to her. "Thank god you're okay..." Haley sighed. "Now come on..." The three turned and were about to continue across the street, just as an even larger fireball slammed into the ground. Haley and Leah both screeched as they fell backwards. Leah recovered first, and she pointed to the fire. "Haley look..." Looking at what her friend was pointing at, and she could see a dark figure in the flames!

"Alright, I've had it!" Haley stated, and grabbing onto Leah's wrist and Lu's collar, she jumped into the air, transforming into her pink dragon form and flying off into the night.

LINE BREAK

Fu was at Sun's side as the Korean Dragon stared into her old computer monitor. Sun sighed and was just about to stand up when she heard the bell above the door ring, and the next thing she knew, Haley, Leah and Lu Dog all rushed into the back room. "Haley, what happened?" Sun asked.

"We were attacked!" Haley answered. "Oh man, if I doubted what Leah said before, I sure as heck don't now! Sun, I've never seen anything like it before!"

"What happened?" Sun asked.

"Fireballs!" Leah answered for Haley. "Several fireballs were chucked at us! And then, there was this big one in the street! And what was really weird was that I thought I saw a figure inside of it. Haley saw it, too! Right, Haley?"

Haley could now see that all eyes were on her. "Y-Yes..." Haley managed.

"Hmm..." Sun seemed to think as she turned to face the computer and typed something onto the computer. "According to the records of the Dragon Council, there was only one dragon that was known to have that power..."

"What power?" Lu asked.

"The power to control fireballs in that manner..." Sun said, motioning for both Haley and Leah to look at the computer. When they both arrived at the computer and stared at the screen, they saw that they were looking at a picture of an extremely dark green dragon, muscular, with absolutely no hair. "That's him!" Leah nearly shouted.

"Are you sure?" Sun asked, starting to read from the page. "According to this, his name is Seth Zaid, and he escaped from prison about five years ago. Are you sure this is him?"

"Yes!" Leah confirmed. "But...there were a couple of differences between the picture and..."

"Alright, Leah..." Sun cut her off. "We will keep you safe. However, you have to do your part in the deal. You need to stay here at all times; this is where you'll be safe. You can leave to bring your family here, but I want you to stay here. In the meantime, I will alert the Drago..."

"But what about graduation tomorrow night?" Leah cut her off. "I can't miss it..."

Eh, I don't think you have much of a choice, kid..." Fu countered.

"But..." Leah tried to explain. "Principal Alexus wants me to give a speech..."

Sun looked like she wanted to argue, but instead, she sighed. "Well Leah, I cannot stop you from going..." the Korean Dragon finally said. "If you feel that you have to go, then I can't stop you. However, I will be there tomorrow, keeping a close eye on you..."

LINE BREAK

The next night, Leah could feel her heart pounding against her chest as she stood by Haley's side in the back of a long row of several students all wearing purple caps and gowns; all of the students were lining up behind a large stage where Principal Alexus stood in front of a large machine that was printing out dozens of pre-rolled diplomas. Many other teachers were also on the stage, as well as Mrs. O'Yrael, who was in a full body cast.

Haley could sense how nervous her friend was; putting her hand on Leah's shoulder, Haley whispered: "Everything is going to be okay..." But as Haley herself did not quite believe this, she glanced over at the rows of seats, where all the parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles all sat. Haley soon found Sun, who was sitting next to Jonathan and Susan and Fred Nerk, who had shaven his Council attire and was now dressed in formal clothes, and he seemed even more on the edge than Sun did. Haley could also see Mr. and Mrs. Belden sitting a couple of rows in front of Sun, along with Ian.

"Haley, come on..." Haley turned her head at the sound of Leah's voice. The line was quickly moving quickly. However, before they could even take two steps, they both heard snickering, and they could see Olivia Mears and Sierra Tatlock standing at their side, both wearing the same purple cap and gown. "What?" Leah asked.

"We're going to go graduate before you do..." Sierra smiled cruelly. "Seeing as we're more popular, therefore we deserve to do it first..."

"Hate to break it to you-well, I actually don't mind..." Haley shot back. "But it's in a alphabetical order. Leah's going before any of us."

"You'll be surprised, Haley..." Olivia joined her friend, smiling as they stepped in front of them, cutting them in the line. Haley growled with anger at this. How could these two get away with this? "Don't worry, Haley..." Haley could hear Leah speak. "They're just taking out their anger on us. We both know they're just ticked off about their third fellow witch not graduating with them..."

The line was moving very fast, thanks to the advanced technology up on the stage. In just a few minutes, both Haley and Leah were walking up the stage, following Sierra and Olivia. Principal Alexus reached into the machine and pulled out the final four diplomas. Alexus handed two of them to Sierra and Olivia, who moved to the side; Alexus then started to hand the final two diplomas to Haley and Leah, but that was when it happened! A large fireball slammed into the stage...

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Haley had not seen the fireball coming...not until it had been too late. The fireball slammed into the stage, with such a force that Mrs. O'Yrael fell backwards off of the stage, hitting the cement, with several cracks being the result. Both Haley and Leah found themselves being shoved back roughly as all of the other graduated students and teacher fled, running down the stairs. Both girls grunted as the final teacher ran in-between them, bumping both of their shoulders. The two recovered as quickly as they could, and they stared into the fireball as a dark figure started to form. Then, the figure stepped forward, out of the fireball, and onto the stage. Both girls gasped; standing in front of them was the dark green dragon, standing in front of them was Seth Zaid, the dragon that had almost killed Leah's brother.

In the bleachers, where the families sat, almost everyone was gone; the only people who remained were Sun and Nerk, Jonathan and Susan, and Leah's family who were all sitting petrified several rows away. "That's him!" Sun declared, both she and Nerk leaping up from their seats, and transforming into their respective dragon forms before flying over to the stage.

Back on the stage, both Haley could see that Leah was frozen with fear at the reappearance of this dragon. Growling, Haley could feel the fire in her body, commanding her to transform. Zaid seemed to sense this, as he smiled cruelly as he shot his tail at Leah. Leah tried to dodge this, but the tail, which Haley could see had a chunk at the end missing, wrapped around her neck, pulling her over to him. Zaid then secured his new captive by putting his claws to her throat; Haley was surprised to see that Zaid's claws were missing, and had been replaced with steel ones.

Then, Zaid spoke, in a very raspy voice: "Transform, and she will die." He warned, glancing up into the air. "The same goes for two..." He, of course, was talking about Sun and Nerk. "Both of you land and revert!" Zaid demanded. Almost reluctantly, Sun and Nerk complied, lowering to the ground and reverting to their human forms.

"Very good..." Zaid smiled, pulling Leah as he started to walk to the edge of the stage. "And as a reward, I will let you dragons live. Unfortunately for this girl, though, I'm here to finish what I started..." Zaid had by this point, reached the edge of the stage, and he was now spreading his wings in order to take off. However, before he could, a decently sized rock smacked into Zaid's head. Zaid blinked once or twice, before he finally looked out into the audience, making eye contact with Mrs. Belden, who was holding another rock. At her side was her husband and her son.

"Nobody hurts my daughter!" Mrs. Belden declared, but Zaid didn't really care. The only thing his eyes saw was Ian.

"You!" Zaid growled. "You're alive! But how?"

This was all the distraction that Leah needed. Bringing her foot up, Leah shut her eyes as she brought it back behind, her heel making contact with a very sensitive area, even for a dragon. Zaid roared in pain, and his grip loosened, giving Leah the perfect chance to pull free.

Leah started running across the stage, but she tripped over her gown, falling down onto the stage. Even though he was in agonizing pain, Zaid saw this, and he shot himself at Leah, growling in anger as he extended his claws. But before he could reached Leah, a pink tail quickly wrapped around his neck, abruptly stopping him.

Haley grunted as she flew into the air, pulling Zaid up with her. Zaid, however, struggled against Haley's tail, and he lashed out with his steel claws, slashing Haley's tail. Haley howled in pain, releasing Zaid. Zaid started flapping his wings and he turned to face Haley, swiping at her with his claws.

As Haley dodged all of the swipes, she could see that Nerk and Sun had resumed dragon form and were now behind him. "Zaid, just give up!" Nerk shouted. "It'll be easier for you!"

"Shut up..." Zaid growled, slamming into Haley, catching her off guard and dazing her. Zaid whirled around to face the two other dragons. "Like I would ever give myself up..."

"It's either that..." Sun grinned with confidence. "...Or we capture you..."

"Or how about neither?" Zaid grinned, throwing his head up and blowing out a large torrent of fire. As the fire blew into the air, it split into two different and came down into his claws as two separate fireballs. Cackling, Zaid threw both of them, one at Sun and one at Nerl. While Sun was able to duck and dodge the fireball meant for her, Nerk was not so lucky. The fireball hit him in the chest, and the yelling Australian Dragon went shooting down to the stage several feet below.

Zaid chuckled as he watched this, but his chuckling soon came to an abrupt end as a loud "AIYAAAAHHH!" could be heard, and the next thing Sun could see, Haley came down on Zaid, her tail slamming into his back.

Zaid grunted in pain, and dazed, he fell down toward the stage, a crash could be heard a few seconds later. Haley smiled as she hovered over to Sun, who after a moment, returned the smile. "Well done, Haley..."

"Well, Sun..." Haley boasted rather playfully. "I try..."

Sun's smile had now completely faded, and she simply nodded approvingly. Haley could feel her own smile fading, and she simply followed her dragon master down to the stage, where they could see Zaid, who had smashed through the wooden boards of the stage. Zaid's upper body had gone through, while his lower body was sticking out; he was trapped, and to prove that point, he was kicking his feet blindly.

On the other side of the stage, Fred Nerk groaned as he rolled over and slowly got up, walking over to the defeated dragon. "Good work, Dragon Long..." he complemented.

"Thank you..." was all Haley could say, but then she added: "Is there anything else I can do?"

"No, you've done enough..." Nerk smiled. "I will handle transporting him to the Island of Draco..."

Haley nodded, and she found herself reverting to her human form. Haley eyes wandered across the stage, and she soon found Leah sitting down, her mother, father and brother all crowded around her.

"Are you okay?" her father asked.

Leah simply nodded.

"Are you sure?" Mrs. Belden asked, just checking.

Once again, Leah nodded. It was all she could do.

Haley wanted to go over to her friend and comfort her, but she found that it would be out of place and inappropriate. Leah was very shaken by this experience, and what she needed at the moment was her family. Haley wasn't going to barge in.

LINE BREAK

Haley sighed as she entered her house, her parents closing the door behind them. What a lousy graduation! "Haley..." Haley turned her head at the sound of her mother's voice. "I can fix you something to drink. Would you like that?"

"No, Mom..." Haley replied. "I'm tired. I just want to go to sleep..."

"Alright, Haley..." Susan looked concerned, but she didn't press the matter. Instead, she just turned and walked into the kitchen, closely followed by her husband.

LINE BREAK

Haley sighed once again as she closed the door to her room, actually comforted by the darkness of her room. Not even bothering to change out of her gown, Haley collapsed onto her stomach onto her bed, burying her face in her pillow.

Haley just stayed like that until she heard a beeping noise. Groaning, Haley lifted her head from her pillow and turned to the sound of the beeping: her communication device, which was on her nightstand. Haley groaned, and was just about to ignore the device and put her head back down on her pillow, but a mechanical voice changed her mind.

"Incoming call from Leah..." the recording stated.

Her eyes widening, Haley sat up and reached out, grabbing the device, Haley pressed one of the buttons, omitting an image of Leah, who looked shaken, and just like Haley, had yet to change out of her gown. "Haley..." Leah spoke.

"Are you okay?" Haley came right out and said it. "You looked really shaken by what happen at the graduation."

"I was shaken..." Leah confirmed. "And I still am..."

"But are you okay?"

"I'm fine..." Leah answered. "Look, I just wanted to thank you for tonight, and for the last day or so..."

"Oh, come on, Leah..." Haley couldn't help but smile. "I'm just helping out those who I care about..."

"Yeah..." Leah seemed to agree. "But...I really just wanted to thank you for saving me..."

"You saved me before..." Haley tried to find a way to make them even.

"How and when?"

"How about when you defended me when I got arrested?"

"I never would have done that if you hadn't saved me before..." Leah answered, sighing. "Listen, what I'm trying to say is this: because of you, I feel much safer. That dragon has been put away where he can't hurt Ian or me. It's all thanks to you, Haley. You're a good friend."

Haley was completely shocked by this. She was not expecting a complement of this caliber. But before Haley could say anything else, the hologram of Leah faded, and Haley was left alone in her room.

After thinking about it for a moment, Haley smiled. "You too, Leah..." she finally said. "You too..."

LINE BREAK

At Leah's house, Leah had lowered the device when she realized that her brother was standing in the doorway. She hadn't meant to hang up on Haley after saying that, but she had been surprised to see her brother in the doorway.

Smiling, Ian walked into the room and knelt beside Leah's bed. "That was a nice thing for you to say..." he said. "And you're right. Haley is a good friend. If any dragon can prove that not all dragons are bad, Haley is the one to do it..."

"You trust her, don't you?" Leah asked.

"Do I have any reason not to?" Ian asked. "She's saved us all...She is a good friend for you. You're very lucky to have found her..."

"I know..."

Ian simply nodded, looking down at the floor. When he lifted his head, he had a new topic. "It feels good to not have to live in fear anymore. It feels good to know that that dragon is locked up where he can't strike again..."

LINE BREAK

On the Island of Draco, in the dark halls of the prison chambers, a creaky cell door was opened, and Seth Zaid was shoved into one of the cells. As Zaid fell to his knees, the cell door was closed and locked behind him by a dragon guard dressed all in armor.

Zaid rolled over and slowly stood as the guard glared at him. "Enjoy your stay here..." the guard growled. "I certainly hope you do, at least, because you're going to be locked in here for a very long time..."

Zaid matched the guard's scowl with a cruel smirk. "Really?" he asked. "Well, we'll just see about that..."

The guard didn't say anything else; instead, the guard just turned and walked off down the dark halls. As soon as he was alone in his new cell, Zaid allowed his smirk to transform into a full grin.

"This cell may hold me for now..." Zaid said to himself. "But I've escaped before. I won't be here for long, and once I get out, I will finish my business with those two children..."

Then, Zaid sat down in his cell, chuckling to himself, until his chuckle turned into a maddened cackle that was loud enough for everyone in the next door cells or the halls to hear, and even loud enough to be heard by the other dragons roaming free on the island.

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: Whoo! I think that was one of my best so far for AD:HL! Please tell me what you think with a review.**


	16. Chapter 16

American Dragon: Haley Long (Season One)

Chapter/Episode 16: Lu Dog's Funny Felony

It was a rather chilly night, for a June night, and the moon was high in the sky as Haley Long turned around a corner, holding a leash in her hand that was connected to Lu Dog's collar. Lu Dog had a tennis ball in her mouth, and her tail was wagging as she pulled at the leash, trying to drag Haley to the park. "No, Lu!" Haley ordered. "Heal! Stop! We're not playing tonight! It's too late at night to do so! Lu Dog, stop!"

When the young golden retriever still didn't seem to listen, Haley growled and she gave the leash one tight yank. Lu Dog yelped in surprise, and once she had recovered from the yank, she turned and returned to Haley, a pout on her face.

"We can't play tonight, Lu..." Haley told her. "It's late. I need to get you back to the shop so I can get home..."

The dragon and the dog returned to the sidewalk and they continued down the sidewalk, until they passed a dark alley. A gloved hand suddenly reached out of the alley and grabbed hold of Haley by her hair; as the hand pulled her into the alley, another gloved hand came out and was placed over Haley's mouth, making it so that she couldn't yell out as she was pulled into the alley. As Haley was pulled in, she let go of the leash, the leash dropping to the ground, getting the attention of Lu, who dropped her tennis ball on the ground.

"Haley?" she asked, turning her head, only to see that the girl was gone. "Haley?" Lu repeated, walking over to the alley; peering in, Lu Dog gasped. Haley was being slammed against the wall by a person wearing a dark grey sweatshirt with a hood. "Give me all your money!" the person demanded in a male's voice.

BLACKOUT; PLAY THEME SONG

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Lu could only stare, frozen in fear as the mugger forced Haley away from the wall, only to slam her against it again, only harder this time. "Where's your money?" the mugger demanded. Haley started to open her mouth, but she soon shut it when the mugger reached into the pocket of his sweatshirt and pulled out something; Haley's eyes widened when she realized what it was...it was a gun.

"Lu!" Haley decided to try shouting for help. "Lu, help me!"

"Shut up!" the mugger tried to threaten, and he tightened his grip on her, but Haley managed to turn her head to Lu, who looked terrified.

"Lu, help me!" Haley shouted. "You're an Animal Guardian! It's your job to help me when I need help! Lu!" But to Haley's shock, Lu's tail was between her legs, and her eyes were wide; Lu Dog finally just slid down onto her stomach, not moving.

"Oh, so much for man's best friend..." the mugger chuckled, cocking the gun as he put it up to Haley's temple. "Now, I ask you again: where is your money?"

Haley's shocked look on her face quickly faded, and was now replaced with a look of anger. "I don't have any money!" Haley nearly shouted. "And you just picked the wrong girl to mug, punk!"

"No, I think you picked the wrong kid to be mugged by..." the mugger growled, putting his finger on the trigger. The mugger was about to pull the trigger, but before he could, a bright pink light consumed Haley. Shocked, the mugger let go of Haley and backed up. Then, the light faded and the American Dragon towered above him.

"You...You...You're a... dra...dragon!" the mugger stuttered.

"I told you that you picked the wrong girl to try to mug..." Haley grinned victoriously. "So, how about I end this here. I'll drop you off at a nice jail for you to spend a couple of months or so at, and then I'll go home..."

"I don't think so..." the mugger had seemed to get over his shock, and he was now raising his gun, getting ready to fire. However, Haley was also ready; shooting her tail at him, she wrapped it around his torso, pinning his arms to his side and making his drop the gun. Haley then pulled, forcing the mugger to his knees.

"Oh, I think so..."

LINE BREAK

At Canal Street Electronics, Sun and Haley stood in the back room as Fu was on the couch, laughing hysterically as Lu sat on the other side of the couch, a look of shame on her face. "Oh, this slays me!" Fu laughed. "The puppy couldn't do her job! And I got fired!"

"Fu, just stop it!" Haley snapped. "She got scared, that's all! It's happened to us all before! So, just give her a break..."

Sun shook her head sadly at Haley's words. "Haley, may I speak to you privately in the front?" she asked. "This is important..." When Haley saw the serious look on Sun's face, she simply nodded and followed her dragon master out to the front, where Sun sat down at the counter. "Please sit, Haley..."

Haley complied, sitting down at the stool beside Sun. "Sun, what is it?"

"Haley, it's Lu Dog..." was all Sun said.

"Sun, not you too..." Haley sighed. "Sun, Lu just made a mistake. She got scared. Fu's done it, and you never got mad at him. I've made mistakes, Jake's made mistakes..."

"Yes..." Sun replied quietly. "But this isn't working out. Lu Dog has gotten into too much trouble..."

"So has Fu..."

"You're defending a dog that doesn't even want to be here?" Sun asked, raising an eye at her pupil. "I'm not trying to punish her, Haley. She never wanted to do this in the first place, and it was never fair to Fu Dog..."

"What are you going to do?" Haley asked.

Sun took her time answering. "Tomorrow..." she said. "I'm going to go to the Island of Draco, and I'm going to talk to the Council. I'm going to get them to release Lu Dog..."

LINE BREAK

The next morning, it was pouring down rain. Haley exited the back room to find Sun putting on her raincoat and standing up. "Alright, Haley..." Sun said. "I appreciate your offer to watch after the dogs and the shop..."

"It's no problem..." Haley shrugged.

"Alright, I won't be gone very long..." Sun started to walk to the door. "Only a few hours. You'll be okay for that long, right?"

"Of course, Sun..." Haley answered, smiling slightly. "Of course, Leah is kind of..." But before she could finish speaking, the bell over the door rang as the door opened and Haley's friend, Leah Belden stepped inside the shop. Leah immediately pulled off her raincoat, which was soaking wet.

"Whoa!" Leah exclaimed. "Whoever heard of it raining like this in June?"

"Hello, Leah." Sun greeted her. "Well, you two girls behave..." Then, the Korean Dragon transformed into her sky blue dragon form, stepped out into the pouring rain and flew off.

Leah watched as Sun flew off, and then she turned and smiled at Haley. "In case you're wondering, yes..." Leah reached into her pocket, pulling out a couple folded papers; Leah unfolded the papers and walked over to her friend. "I brought them...the list of colleges that will take you."

LINE BREAK

In the back room, Lu Dog lifted her head off of the couch when she saw Fu in front of a decently sized box with a static image coming from it. Fu jumped to the top of it and he started to chew on one of the wires on it, pulling it back until an image appeared on the screen. Satisfied, Fu jumped down, walked over to the couch and jumped onto it on the opposite side of Lu.

"Fu, what is that thing?" Lu asked.

"What, you've never seen a television before?" Fu asked her, Lu shaking her head. "Really? Wow, I'm surprised. Well, a television is a box that plays movies and television shows. Oh come on, I'm sure you've seen a television before. This one's just old. So maybe you just don't recognize it..."

"I'm 200 years old..." Lu replied in a bored tone. "If I had seen one before, I think I would remember..."

"Sheesh..." Fu shrugged. "Talk about having no life..."

"Well, what's playing now?" Lu asked, staring at the television. On the screen was a black and white film that was cutting between a uniformed police officer and a man all in black with a bunch of terrified people behind him. They seemed to be talking to each other on an old looking telephone.

_"You're gonna get me what I want, copper..." the man in black yelled. "If you don't, I can't be responsible for what just might happen to these fine people..."_

_"Now, now..." the police officer replied on the other end of the phone, his voice smooth and calm. "There's no need for any unnecessary violence. I'd be more than willing to negotiate with you...Just tell me what it is that you want..."_

_"I already told you what I want!" the man in black yelled back, the film switching back to him. "I want a car so I can get out of here with my men!" _

"This?" Fu asked, chuckling slightly. "This is a classic from 1958. It's a stand-off thriller. Robbers have just robbed a bank, but now they're trapped inside. They've taken everyone inside hostage, and now they're telling the negotiators their demands."

"Really?" Lu asked, thinking this over, looking at the television set, watching the film. "So...you mean to tell me that the cops will see to the demands? They'll make them come true?"

"Well, sure..." Fu answered. "But it usually comes crashing-" However, Fu was cut off as the young golden jumped to her feet, a wide grin on her face.

"Fu Dog!" she exclaimed. "I have an idea!"

"An idea?"

"Yes!" Lu confirmed. "I have an idea. Finally, I'm going to be able to go home!"

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

"Oh no..." Fu just stared at the golden, not wanting to believe her words. "You're not telling me that..."

"Yes!" Lu jumped down from the couch, her smile still not fading. "I'm going to hold you and Haley hostage! Of course, I'm not really holding you hostage. The Council will just think I am. It's perfect, Fu!"

"Oh, no!" Fu himself jumped off of the couch and he got into the golden's face. "Do you have any idea what kind of trouble you'd get into? Have you lost your little puppy mind?"

"I won't get into any trouble..." Lu's smile widened. "That's what is so perfect about my plan! They'll give in to my demands, and then I'll be out of all of your lives! I won't get into any trouble."

"Think again, puppy!" Fu tried to force her to see the truth. "Life ain't like the movies! The Council members aren't like cops! So, even if they did let you find your family, they would hunt you down..."

"No they wouldn't..." Lu scoffed.

"You know what?" Fu expression suddenly changed from anger to a kind of determination. "You're right. They aren't going to hunt you down, because you aren't going to pull off this stupid stunt. I'm going to tell Haley right now..." Fu then started to run for the front room, but he stopped in his tracks when he heard Lu Dog calling him.

"Oh really?" Lu smiled as she stared at him with a wide smile. "You're going to give me away and lose the chance to resume your role as an Animal Guardian? Just like that? Fu, that surprised me. I thought that was why you were even helping me in the first place; you wanted me to get fired so you could have the job back. Don't you want to be an Animal Guardian again?"

"A...A...A...Animal Guardian?" Fu asked, turning his head to Lu.

"Yep..." Lu smiled as she walked over to Fu. "You can have your old job back if you just help me this one last time. And like I said, we're not really taking Haley hostage...We don't even have to tell her that we are doing this."

Fu seemed to think about this for a second, and he stared at Lu Dog's confident look. Finally, he nodded and said: "Alright. I'll help you. But this is the last time. So, what do you want me to do?"

"Well first..." Lu seemed to think about this. "I need to find a way to make the Council think that I mean business..."

"That's easy..." Fu muttered, and the dog walked over to the cough, putting his paw under it, pulling out a Huntsclan staff a few seconds later. "I don't know why, but we always kept one of these things. Anything else?"

"I need you to write a script..." Lu added. "This needs to be convincing. We can't just improvise...And, isn't there an old typewriter in the bathroom or something?"

"Actually..." Fu corrected her. "We got rid of it years ago. We could use Sun's computer..."

LINE BREAK

Lu Dog stood, waiting impatiently as Fu Dog sat on a stool in front of the old computer, quickly typing on the keyboard. Finally, Lu Dog decided to break the silence. "Is it almost done?" she asked.

"Puppy, would you just give me some time?" Fu snapped back, surprising Lu. "Have you ever tried typing with paws? Let me tell you: it's HARD! So, unless you want to type, I suggest that you just let me work! Alright, I'm done."

If Lu was shocked at Fu's outburst, she was even more shocked that he had just finished the script while yelling at her for asking him if he was done. Trying to get over her surprise, Lu said: "Let me see it..."

"Be my guest, puppy." Fu said as he hopped off of the stool, allowing Lu to jump up.

Lu Dog scanned down the pages of the script that Fu Dog had written. Everything seemed to be good until Lu Dog skimmed one of the sentences, her eyes widening. "What?" Fu asked when he saw the look in her eyes.

"You wrote that I'm supposed to-" Lu cut herself off. "Fu, I don't want to hurt you! That's mean!"

"Don't sweat it, puppy..." Fu rolled his eyes. "You won't be hurting me. I've taken much worse. Besides...anything to help you get to your family..."

Lu just stared at the shar-pei for a moment before she smiled and nodded. "Alright, if you say so. Now, it's time to put my plan in motion!"

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

When the Enchanted Elevator that Sun was travelling in popped out of the grass, and the doors slid open, Sun was relieved to see that it was not pouring down rain on the Island of Dragon. Thanking the goblin on the inside of the elevator, Sun walked across the grass, heading for the main hall.

When Sun finally reached the main hall, she pushed the doors open and walked in, finding that the only one sitting inside were Councilor Fachtna, Councilor Ulixes and Fred Nerk, who were drinking tea. Just as Councilor Fachtna brought the glass to his lips, he noticed Sun walking up to their table.

"Master Park..." Fachtna greeted her, lowering his glass and standing up. "To what do we owe the honor of your presence today?"

"Councilors..." Sun started out slowly. "I came here to ask you for a great, big favor..."

"Well, why don't you tell us, Master?" Fachtna sat back down. "Perhaps we will be able to help you out...What do you need?"

"I request that you release Lu Dog from being Haley's Animal Guardian..." Sun stated. As she expected, Fred Nerk did not seem bothered by this, but both Ulixes and Fachtna looked enraged.

"Absolutely out of the question!" Ulixes slammed her fist down against the table. "The American Dragon must have her as her guardian!"

"Councilors..." Sun tried to explain. "...I do not wish to question your judgment, but I care about Haley's safety. Last night, someone tried to mug Haley while she was walking Lu. Lu did absolutely nothing to help her..."

"You mean just like Fu Dog?" Ulixes laughed. "Yet you still defend him. What is the difference?"

"The difference was that Fu tried to help..." Sun answered, a determined look on her face. "Lu Dog did nothing. Look, I think we all know how much Lu Dog does not want to be an Animal Guardian..."

"She doesn't have a choice!" Ulixes laughed.

"Well, I think that's wrong." Sun replied. "I'm asking you, release her. She has caused much trouble, all because of what you are forcing her to do. She wants out, and she'll do just about anything to get out. I'm asking you, let her out before she does something really stupid..."

LINE BREAK

"Are you ready, puppy?" Fu Dog asked as he stared at Lu, who nodded at him. "Alright, but first you need to put the force field up, just to prove that you're serious to the Council when they get here. It's been fixed..."

"Alright..." Lu said, rushing over to the stool, using her head to push the stool to the wall. Once the stool was against the wall, Lu jumped up onto it and used her teeth to open the door revealing the switch. After using her paws to flip the switch, Lu hopped off the stood and rushed over to Fu.

"Alright, let's do this..." Fu said, looking down at the communication device at his feet. Using his paws, Fu Dog slowly started to dial a number.

LINE BREAK

The Council seemed to consider Sun's words, and Sun was hoping that they would change their minds; Sun even had a small, hopeful smile on her face. Unfortunately, the smile faded when Fachtna leaned forward in his seat and spoke:

"I am sorry, Master Park." He said. "Lu Dog is not leaving the American Dragon's side. And rest assured, we will handle it if she ever does something foolish..."

No sooner had those words left Fachtna's mouth, when a ringing came from Sun's raincoat pocket. Reaching into her pocket, Sun pulled out her beeping communication device; Sun pressed a button, and the image of Fu Dog appeared.

"Sun!" the shar-pei said in a hurry. "We've got a serious problem!" As Fu spoke, Sun noticed that Fachtna, Ulixes and Nerk had gotten out of their seats and were now walking over to her.

"Fu, what's going on?" Sun asked. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything isn't okay, Sun!" Fu nearly shouted. "The puppy's gone-AAAAHHHH!" The next thing Sun knew, a blast of plasma hit Fu, knocking him away from the communication device in the shop, just as Lu Dog stepped up, a huntstaff in her mouth.

Dropping the staff, the golden retriever looked right into the device, smiling. "What Fu Dog was saying before I cut him off..." she said. "...Is that I have taken him and the American Dragon hostage..."

As Lu said this, Sun gasped as Ulixes ripped the communication device from her hands, holding it in her own as she yelled at the golden. "Bad choice, dog!" Ulixes roared. "We'll hunt you down, you mutt! And this time you won't be so lucky! We'll lock you up in a cell for the rest of your miserable life! Better yet, WE WILL EUTHANIZE YOU!"

By now, Lu Dog looked quite frightened. "Councilor..." Fachtna said in a very calm voice, reaching out and taking the communication device from her. "Councilor, there is a better way of handling this..." Fachtna told Ulixes. "Lu Dog..." he spoke into the device. "Please just listen to me..."

"I'll kill them..." Lu claimed, no one except Fu Dog knowing that her claim was the biggest lie in the world. "I'll kill them..."

"There's no need for that..." Fachtna told her in a soothing voice. "Please, just tell me why you're doing this..."

"You can't force me to be the American Dragon's Animal Guardian!" Lu nearly shouted. "I want out!"

"So, you'll let them go if we just release you from your duties?" Fred Nerk asked, speaking up from beside Fachtna.

"I want my family back..." Lu said after a moment. "You let me go and you reunite me with my family, and I will let them both go..."

"Anything else?" Nerk asked. "If there is anything else I can do..."

"I don't want you coming after me once I'm gone..." Lu Dog finished. "That's all I want..."

"Very well..." Fachtna nodded. "I am certain that we will be able to do just that. We just ask that you give us a few hours to find them. We also promise that we will not come after you once you have left with your family."

Lu Dog nodded, and then the image faded. With Lu gone, Fachtna finally allowed his real feeling to surface. Growling, Fachtna hurled the communication device to the ground before turning to Nerk. "I don't care about her family..." Fachtna growled. "But the only thing you will be fetching is all of the guards in the prison halls. We're going down to that shop, and we're going to get that dog..."

"Yes, sir..." Nerk nodded before he turned and walked out of the hall. With Nerk gone, Fachtna turned to Sun. "Don't worry, Master Park..." Fachtna said. "We'll save the American Dragon..."

LINE BREAK

As soon as the image of the Dragon Council members had faded, Lu Dog turned to look at Fu, who was slowly standing up after she had zapped him with the staff. "Are you okay?" she asked.

"Puppy..." Fu told her. "I told you...I'm fine. I can handle it. I've taken worse. Besides, if it helps get you out of my life, I'd do anything. So, what's next?"

"Now?" Lu asked, obviously meaning that she had not thought the process this far along. "Now...I guess we just wait..."

LINE BREAK

Haley and Leah sat out in the front of the shop at the counter. Haley and Leah were both looking at a piece of paper, which had the names of several colleges on it. "How about this one?' Leah asked, pointing to one of the names.

Haley looked down at the paper, looking down at the name. "Uh, I don't know about that one, Leah..." Haley answered honestly.

Leah sighed, shaking her head. "What's wrong with that college?" she asked. "It's a good one! Why don't you want to go to it? I'm certain that they'll take you!"

"It's not that, Leah..." Haley looked down. "I need to stay in New York. I'm the American Dragon. I'm needed here..."

"Oh!" Leah exclaimed, in a tone that made Haley think that Leah wanted to face palm herself. "I understand now, Haley. Alright, I'm sure we can find one here..."

Haley simply nodded, her eyes wandering over to the door and to the outside, only to gasp when she realized that there was a green energy surrounding the entire shop. "What the...?" Haley said to herself, but to her surprise, Leah heard her.

"Is something wrong, Haley?"

"What?" Haley snapped back to the thought of her friend. "Oh..." she realized. "Um, no. I don't think anything is wrong. Just let me check on the dogs..."

"Alright..." Leah said as Haley slid off of the stool and started to walk over to the back room. As Haley reached the entrance of the back room, Haley froze in her tracks; she could hear talking. It sounded like Lu Dog and Councilor Fachtna. Peeking her head in, Haley gasped as she heard the conversation between the dog and the holographic image of Fachtna.

"We are doing the best we can in the locating of your family..." Fachtna told her. "But so far, we are having no luck. We need a little more time."

"You have one more hour..." Lu told him in a falsely cold voice. "After that, I'm going to kill Fu Dog..." After saying that, Lu put her paw down on the button, and the image of Fachtna faded away. Lu then grinned and she turned her head to Fu Dog, who was lying in the corner. "We're doing it, Fu!" She exclaimed happily. "We're actually doing it! You're going to get your job back, and I'm going to get to go home! This is the best plan I've ever had!"

"Actually, Lu Dog..." Haley said, now revealing herself and walking inside. "This is the worst idea you've ever had. Yes, this is even worse than when you pranked the Council..."

"I'm not really holding you hostage..." Lu tried to explain.

"Do you really think that matters?" Haley chastised. "Because I'm going to tell you that it doesn't. You're lying to the Council. You are going to be in so much trouble..."

"No I won't!" Lu said proudly. "The Council is going to find my family. Then, I'll be out of here, and Fu will be your Animal Guardian again. I'm not doing anything wrong, Haley. In fact, I'm doing something good. I'm making everyone happy..."

"Wrong, Lu..." Haley crossed her arms. "You aren't making anybody happy..."

"What are you talking about?" Lu asked. "I want out, Fu wants to be your Animal Guardian...Who won't be happy?"

"I'm not happy, Sun won't be happy, and the Dragon Council sure as heck won't be happy..." Haley replied. "You can't do this, Lu. This is wrong and dangerous."

"How is it dangerous?" Lu smiled innocently. "The Council is going to let me go home."

At this point, Haley could no longer control herself; she was shaking with anger, and she now yelled at the golden. "No they're not! Do you honestly just think that they'll let you go? If you do, then you're a fool! They will never let you go! Even after nine years, the Council won't leave my brother alone. The Council is the reason I haven't seen Jake in nine years!" By now, Haley was no longer yelling, and she now looked sad. "They will never stop hunting you, and they will eventually catch you. And I dread the day when the Council catches Jake..."

LINE BREAK

The three dragons were assaulted by the heavy rain drops as they flew side-by-side through the air. Sun listened as Fachtna addressed Ulixes. "Alright, Councilor..." he said. "When we get there, we will try to negotiate with the dog. Then, when Councilor Nerk arrives, we will take her..."

"Sounds like a good plan..." Ulixes agreed.

Sun just listened for another moment before she turned her head, looking down. She knew they were close to the shop; finally, Sun could see the shop in the distance, but she could feel her heart sinking as she realized that the green force field was covering the shop. "Oh no..." Sun muttered.

"What is it, Master Park?" Fachtna asked, looking at her before looking down at the shop. "Ahh, I see...Let's land..."

The three dragons landed on the ground right in front of the shop. While Sun and Ulixes remained in dragon form, Fachtna reverted to his human form; Fachtna reached into his robes and pulled out his communication device; Sun and Ulixes watched as Fred Nerk appeared in holographic form.

"Have you gotten the guards?" Fachtna asked.

"I'm in the process of it..." Nerk answered. "I'll try to get down there as quickly as I can..."

"I need you to do one more thing, Councilor Nerk..." Fachtna told him. "I need you to get a device that can get rid of a force field..."

"I'll do that..." Nerk answered after a moment, and the hologram disappeared. Fachtna sighed as he placed the device back in his robes.

"Now we wait..." he said. "It's all we can do..."

LINE BREAK

Inside the shop, Leah was sitting alone at the counter. Finally having enough of sitting alone, Leah got up, her eyes catching the sight of the three dragons outside in the rain. "Haley!" Leah immediately called, turning her head to the back room where she could see Haley talking to Lu. "Haley!" Leah called, walking into the room.

"What, Leah?" Haley asked, not looking away from the golden.

"There are three dragons outside..." Leah reported. "One of them is Sun. Haley, what's going on?"

"Oh, they must be here with my family..." Lu smiled, starting to walk out of the room.

"Correction, Lu..." Haley stated. "They're not here to deliver your mother and your brothers to you. They're here to arrest you. You've committed a major felony."

However, Lu didn't seem to listen to Haley, and she looked through the door. "Hey, where's my family?" she asked. "They said they would bring my family!"

Fu Dog was now at Haley's leg, and the shar-pei opened his mouth. "Well, puppy..." he told her. "I tried to tell you, but you didn't listen..."

"Tell me what?" Lu asked.

"That in those kinds of movies, it all eventually comes crashing down for the criminals..." Fu told her. "At the end, they end up getting captured...or worse..."

"Oh no..." Lu was now shaking her head. "No...no...no...no! This can't happen! I never hurt anyone!"

"You threatened to kill us all..." Fu muttered.

LINE BREAK

Fachtna, Sun and Ulixes continued to wait, even as the rain poured down upon them. Finally, a yellow dragon nodded on the ground, followed by a bunch of armored dragons. Nerk held some kind of box in his claws, and he set it down right in front of the force field. Sun could see that there were wires attached to the box, and Nerk struggled to place the wires into the green energy, but once he had managed to, Nerk stood up and reverted to his dragon form, reaching into his robes and pulling out a remote.

"This'll do it..." Nerk stated, and he pressed the button on it; Sun watched as the wires sparked, and the next thing she knew, the force field faded.

"Alright, guards..." Fachtna ordered. "Follow Councilor Ulixes and myself inside." As Fachtna turned into a dragon once more, Ulixes walked over to the door and put her claws on the handle, trying to push it open, only to find that it was locked. Growling in annoyance, Ulixes clenched her claws in a fist and put them through the glass, making the alarm go off.

LINE BREAK

Back in the back room, Lu's eyes widened in fear as she realized what was going on. "No!" she exclaimed. "I can't go to prison! Haley, you have to help me!"

"What do you expect me to do?" Haley asked.

"I don't know!" Lu tried to think. "Put a hole in the wall! Please! I need your help!"

Back in the front, Ulixes finally found the handle, and from the outside, she opened the door using the inside's handle. Once the door was open, she and Fachtna rushed in, rushing to the back, followed by the guards, only to see a hole in the wall, and Fu Dog yelling as Lu Dog blasted him out of it with the huntstaff.

"Give up, dog!" Fachtna warned. "It's over! You're cornered!"

Lu turned around, the huntstaff in her mouth, and she rushed in front of the now dragon Haley, pointing the staff at her chest. "No, it's not over!" Lu stated. "Back off now, or I'll slay her..."

Fachtna and Ulixes both did not seem caught too off guard, by this, and they both reverted to their human forms after glancing at each other. "Now now, Lu Dog..." Fachtna tried to soothe. "You don't have to do this..."

"Pick me up, Haley..." Lu ordered softly. "And then fly me out of the hole...I'm not going to prison. I never hurt any of them..." As she spoke, Haley bent over and scooped up Lu in her claws, lifting off the ground and flying out of the hole, leaving the others alone.

"What do we do now?" Ulixes asked.

However, Fachtna wasn't listening to Ulixes; he was looking right at Leah, who looked very confused. "What just happened?" the girl asked as she started to inch away from where she stood. "I think I'm gonna go home now..."

"What are we going to do now?" Ulixes repeated.

"I don't know..." Fachtna finally answered. "I don't think there is anything we can do. We have no idea where the dog is taking Dragon Long and Fu. I think there is only one thing we can do..."

"...Hunt them down..." Ulixes said after a moment, a cruel grin spreading across her face.

LINE BREAK

Fu panted as he ran on the ground, trying to keep up with Haley as she flew down a dark alley. Fu skidded to a halt and turned, following the, only to stop once again stop as Haley lowered to the ground in front of a cardboard box. Haley set Lu down and then reverted to her human form.

"We can hide in this box..." Lu explained.

Haley nodded, and she bent down, holding open the flaps of the box, letting both dogs inside before crawling in herself. Haley then closed the flaps, and she pulled her knees to her chest, the three listening to the rain coming down onto the box.

"I'm sorry I got you all into this..." Lu apologized. "I didn't want it to go this far. All I wanted was to get out..."

"That was why Sun was gone..." Haley finally said. "She was going to the Island of Draco in order to ask if you could be released from the duty of being an Animal Guardian..."

"Really?" Lu asked.

"Yeah..." Haley replied.

"So..." Fu finally decided to change the subject. "What now?"

"Well..." Lu said after a moment. "How about once the rain stops, we go out and look for my family? Seeing as I can't go back to Sun and the Council..."

Fu didn't directly respond to Lu; instead, he looked at Haley for confirmation. "What do you think, kid?"

Haley sighed. "What other choice do we have?"

"So it's settled..." Lu finished, joy evident in her tone. The young golden then lowered her head and closed her eyes, falling asleep within seconds. With the young dog asleep, Haley sighed and looked at Fu, and together, they just listened to the rain outside, a reminder of the position they were now in.

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: So, there it is. What do you think? Please review.**


	17. Chapter 17

American Dragon: Haley Long (Season One)

Chapter/Episode 17: The Bone Doesn't Fall Far From the Tree

Sun Park stood on the Island of Draco, her arms crossed and an angry look on her face. She couldn't believe that Lu Dog had done this. She had trusted her! She had tried to help her! Well, this was what she got for trusting a trouble-making thief. Sun was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard footsteps; looking up from the ground, Sun could see the dragon form of Councilor Ulixes standing in front of her, a dedicated smile on her face. "The Council has decided to send me out to find the American Dragon..." Ulixes reported, a maddened glint in her eyes.

Sun didn't know what to say; she could only nod.

"However..." Ulixes added, walking over to the wall Sun stood against. "The Council has also decided..." As she spoke, Ulixes used one of her claws to carve into the wall; it took Sun only a moment to realize that Ulixes was carving in the outline of a dog. "...That you are to come with me, seeing as you got to know that criminal. You might know of a place where she might take her two captives..."

Sun finally found her voice. "Not really, Councilor..."

"Well..." Ulixes grinned again. "...I'm sure there will plenty of time for you to think. After all, we're counting on you, Master Park. We can't just wait for the American Dragon to escape. And then, when we finally catch that dog..." Ulixes then dug her claws into the wall, ripping the dog carving out of the wall. "...I will crush her..." Ulixes then clenched her fist, the carving of the dog crumbling to pieces.

BLACKOUT; PLAY THEME SONG

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

The rain had stopped coming down the next morning, and now Haley was walking alongside Lu and Fu Dog in human form. "So, where exactly were you when you were attacked by those two dogs?" Fu was asking.

"I'm not entirely sure..." Lu answered. "I just stayed down until I was found..."

"Well, where was your mother?" Haley asked, finally speaking up. "Do you think she could have gone out looking for you?"

"Oh, no..." Lu Dog answered, shaking her head. "She's very sick, and she has trouble standing. We decided that we would just take care of her there, and keep her company...until..."

"I understand, Lu..." Haley told her, cutting her off before the dog could say what she was going to say. "We'll find them..."

LINE BREAK

The three had walked for quite a while, and just now, Lu had decided to let them have a rest. "Why don't you sit down and take a rest?" the young golden asked. "I'll see if I can find some kind of food..."

"Good!" Fu replied. "Because I'm starving!" Then, he added when he saw Haley glaring at him: "What? I am!"

"You don't have to be rude about it..." Haley muttered.

"I'm not being rude..." Fu barked. "I'm telling the truth. The puppy is offering to go find us some food..." Then, both dog and dragon watched as Lu Dog turned and left the alley, on a mission to find some food. As soon as Lu was gone, the shar-pei turned to Haley. "Can we leave her?" he asked.

"I thought you would never ask..." Haley quickly stood up. "I mean, normally, I would think that what we're doing is wrong, but she kidnapped us. I'm sure she'll be able to find her family on her own..."

"You took the words right out of my mouth, kid..." Fu commented. "Come on, we're only holding her back. Only she knows where her mom would be."

"Exactly." Haley agreed, the two turning and starting to walk down the alley.

LINE BREAK

Haley and Fu Dog had been wandering around the alleys, never finding the way to a road. Each turn they made only took them down another alley; it was like a maze. "Sheesh..." Fu shrugged. "No wonder the puppy didn't know where to go..."

"Fu..." Haley finally had the courage to bring up what had been on her mind for several minutes now. "Maybe it was wrong for us to abandon Lu. Maybe we should go back..."

"Nah, she'll be fi..." Fu Dog started, but he abruptly stopped speaking, and his ear twitched. "Shh..." Fu added. "I hear something. It's coming from over there..." Fu then turned and pointed one of his paws to the closest building.

Haley looked at the building for a moment; it was old, but it was obviously more sturdy than the other buildings around the alley, and at the bottom, there was a window, which led down to a basement or a boiling room. Haley walked over to it, lying down onto her stomach and looking through the window and into the room.

Fortunately, the lights were on inside, and Haley could see everything. Inside, Haley could see a large pile of very large bones, much large than regular ones that a dog could finish in about a day. Haley continued to search around the room, until her eyes finally found a conveyer belt with large bones on it, coming out of a furnace. But that wasn't what shocked Haley, it was who was at the conveyer belt that surprised Haley; Haley's eyes widened in shock as she recognized the operator as Lu's brother...Stu Dog. Stu had a black collar around his neck, and as he put his front paws on the second conveyer belt which sent the bones into the furnace, Haley could see that there were black straps around his paws as well.

Haley's eyes darted from the captive dog to the other side of the room when she heard the sound of the door open, and she could see the shepherd dog, Little Rover, enter with his Border collie, Growler, and his pit-bull, Biter.

"Ear of the dragon!" Haley commanded, and she could feel her ear transform. Once she was certain the transformation was complete, Haley put her ear to the glass, while continuing to stare at the sight in front of her inside the warehouse.

"Well done, Stu Dog!" Little Rover smiled as he looked down at the large bones dropping down onto the floor from the conveyer belt. "You are doing an excellent job! Biter! Growler!" He suddenly called, turning to his lackeys. "Make yourselves useful and carry those bones up to that level up there..." He motioned to something Haley's couldn't see. "..."While Stu takes his well-deserved break..."

"Yes, sir!" Biter and Growler both said in unison, walking over to the bones while Little Rover looked at Stu.

"Well, you heard me..." Little Rover said. "You can take a five minute break."

"Thank you, sir..." came Stu's simple reply as he turned and walked to the exit.

After watching Stu Dog leave the room, Haley turned her attention to Fu, who was now at her side and was simply staring at her. "We need to go back to Lu..." Haley finally said. "I just found her brother. Well, one of them..."

"What's he doing in there?" Fu asked.

"I'll tell you on the way back to Lu Dog..." Haley promised, starting to part her head away from the window, only to gasp as she found that her ear would not leave the pane; it must have been the heat from inside the room. Trying to hold back panic, Haley placed her hands on the ground and slowly pushed herself away, before coming back, then yanking away, ripping off the piece of glass from the window. As Haley stood up, she was clutching her ear, but nonetheless, she commanded: "Let's go!"

Back inside the room, Little Rover was just about to leave the room when he heard the sound at the window. Narrowing his eyes, Little Rover turned back to face his two lackeys. "Did you hear that?" he demanded.

"Hear what?" Growler asked.

"We didn't hear anything..." Biter added.

His eyes narrowing even more, Little Biter spoke again. "I heard something..." Then, he added: "You two hurry those up and then follow me. We're going to get to the bottom of this."

LINE BREAK

Flapping could be hear throughout a dark alley as two pairs of dragon feet landed on the cold ground. Folding her wings behind, Councilor Ulixes turned her head towards Sun after taking a deep breath.

"What?" Sun asked.

"I can smell it..." Ulixes grinned. "The dog's been here..."

LINE BREAK

Outside the boiler room, Little Rover stood behind Biter and Growler as the two lackeys sniffed at the ground. When both of the dogs were done, they lifted their heads.

"Well?" Little Rover growled. "What do you smell?"

"There was someone here..." Biter said. "We can smell it..."

"It smells like another dog..." Growler added. "Another dog...and a dragon."

Little Rover seemed to take this in for a moment before he growled with anger. "You idiots!" he growled. "I don't care what they were! Someone saw us! That's all that matters! What we're doing is illegal, and if someone reports it to the Dragon Council, we will all be going away for a very long time!"

"What do we do?" Biter asked.

"You imbecile!" Little Rover barked, bringing his left paw up and smacking Biter across the head with it. "What do I usually have you do? We're going to find them...and kill them..."

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

Lu Dog looked around, trying to see if she was in the all clear before she made her way over to the small creak that she had used to bring her mother water. However, it was not until Lu Dog had reached the water that she realized that she did not have anything to put the water in so she could deliver it to Fu and Haley.

After a moment, Lu Dog sighed and turned, trotting away and turning, leading to another alley that was littered with garbage cans and trash. Lu didn't waste any time; the young golden trotted into the alley and started to sniff around the trash areas, but not finding anything of interest, the golden turned and moved to the other side of the alley, just as something inside one of the trashcans behind her started to shake, rattling the can.

Lu Dog was completely oblivious to this; the dog continued to sniff for something to carry the water from the creak in. As the garbage can behind her rattled once more, Lu's eyes widened as she found something; the young golden retriever put her paw in-between two rather large trashcans, using her paw to fish for the object.

Finally, the young golden managed to catch hold of the handle with her paw, and the pulled with all her might. The two cans fell sideways, making loud noises as they hit the ground, and Lu Dog grinned with accomplishment as she looked down at her prize: a plastic bucket used for sand castles at the beach, which had a hole in it. Lu Dog didn't care, though. It could still hold water. Lu Dog reached down and bit her teeth down on the handle, just as she heard a femal voice calling from not very far away:

"Lu Dog?" the voice called.

"Haley?" Lu dropped the bucket from her mouth, and the next thing she knew, both Fu Dog and Haley turned around the corner and rushed over to her.

"Lu Dog!" Haley reported as she and the shar-pei stopped in front of her. "Lu Dog, we found your brother!"

"What?" Lu asked, her eyes widening. Unfortunately, before Haley could repeat her words, there was a flash, and the next thing Haley knew, something had slammed into Lu, knocking her off of her feet and onto her back.

As Lu Dog yelped with terror, her eyes squeezed shut, Haley transformed into her dragon form and slammed her tail into Lu's attacker, slamming him into the wall. The attacker grunter and fell down, crashing against the two fallen trashcans. Haley bent down and slowly helped Lu Dog up, and as soon as the young golden had stopped panting and shaking, she looked at her attacker and gasped.

"Ru?" she demanded, and Haley's eyes widened. At the moment of Lu Dog's attack, she couldn't recognize the dog from her dream, but now she could. The attacker had the exact same skinned tail and the exact same fur color.

Ru Dog slowly looked up from the ground, and he turned his head to the dog that he had attacked, blinking repeatedly. Then, Ru Dog gasped as well. "Lu Dog?" he asked as his sister approached him. "How can it be? How can you still be alive?"

"I just got lucky..." was all Lu said before she changed the subject. "Where's Stu Dog?"

To Lu's surprise, she found that her brother was answering by shaking his head. Finally, Ru spoke; "You weren't there, so of course you didn't see what happened to him..."

"What happened to him?" Haley asked from behind Lu.

Once again, Ru shook his head. "Lu, please know that I would never abandon you..." he tried to explain. "I came right back...but by then, it was too late..."

"Just tell me what happened..." Lu Dog ordered softly.

"Alright..." Ru sighed as he caved in. "Well, I came back from my hiding place almost immediately..."

_Ru Dog was walking away from the alley that he had hidden in, immediately stopping and hiding behind a wall as he peaked into the alley that he had just ran out of. In the alley, Little Rover growled with rage as he rammed into Stu Dog's side. Stu grunted with pain as he slid to the ground._

_"You fool!" Little Rover growled as he started to pace around the fallen dog. "How could you two be so careless?"_

_"We...We didn't know..." Stu struggled to say. "...That...our sister followed us..."_

_"Well, now because of your carelessness, your sister is dead, rotting in the garbage somewhere!" Little Rover stopped circling, hitting the other dog in the stomach with his front paw._ _"That was beyond stupid, my friend. Do you know what your sister could have done? She could have gone to some higher authority! Then, we all would be sentenced to a cold cell for the rest of our lives!"_

_"Hey boss!" Little Rover turned his attention from the dog on the ground to his two lackeys, who were now walking back into the alley. Biter continued: "That dog is dead..."_

_"Good..." Little Rover replied, turning from Stu and walking over to Biter and Growler, rejoining them before he turned back to Stu, who was struggling to stand up. "Oh, and Stu Dog..." Little Rover added with a cruel grin. "I know you must be angry at me for having your precious little sister killed; angry enough to want to turn me in to the Dragon Council. To make sure you never do that, I'm going to never let you out of my sight, and one of these days, I'll go after that cowardly brothers of yours. Biter! Growler! Take him to the boiler room and put him to work!"_

_From his hiding place, Ru Dog watched as Biter and Growler went to either side of Stu, keeping him up on his feet as they walked him to the window at the bottom of the window._

Ru Dog looked down at the ground as he finished telling his sister, the pink dragon and the shar-pei about what had become of Stu. Lu Dog's eyes widened with fear, and she let out a saddened whimper. "We have to save him..." she finally managed to make out.

"And we will..." Haley spoke up, stepping forward with her claws extended; the American Dragon wanted nothing more than to pet the dog, to calm her down. "It won't be easy, but we'll do it..." Haley continued.

"Well, I'd help you..." Ru stated. "But I can't..."

"What do you mean you can't?" Lu Dog's eyes narrowed, and she snarled. "Are you trying to tell me that you are just going to abandon your brother? I put myself through so much trouble to get back to my family...and you tell me that you're just going to abandon Stu? How can you do that to him?"

"I don't want to abandon him..." Ru pouted. "But I don't have a choice. Mom's sick, and she's not going to last much longer. She will probably be gone within the week..."

LINE BREAK

"What do you smell?" Sun Park asked, crossing her arms. She and Councilor Ulixes had landed on the roof of one of the buildings, which gave them an excellent view of the alleys, which crossed like a big maze.

"I am not smelling for anything..." Ulixes snarled back. "I'm not a dog! I'm trying to see if I can catch a sight of them..."

"Well, do you see anything?" Sun sighed.

"Master Park, you are acting quite calm despite the situation..." Ulixes raised an eyebrow. "Why would that be?"

"To be perfectly honest, Councilor..." Sun replied after taking a breath. "I do not think that Haley and Fu Dog are in mortal danger. First of all, I know Lu Dog does not have it in her to commit a homicide. Second of all, Haley and Fu can take her..."

"Really?" Ulixes rolled her eyes. "It didn't look that way to me. To me, it looked like the dog posed enough of a threat to make them go with her..."

That was it. Sun had had enough of the Dragon councilor. Growling, Sun got right up in Ulixes' face. "Councilor, I don't think you get it..." Sun growled. "I think you are overreacting. Lu Dog did something incredibly stupid, I know that. However, she means no harm to my pupil and dog. This is without a doubt just some stupid stunt that she has pulled off in order for her to run away from the duties you have forced on her."

Councilor Ulixes did not seem threatened by Sun's outburst; on the contrary, she grinned. "Now Master Park, don't lose your temper with me..." Ulixes lectured. "After all, I have more authority than you. What you say may or may not be true, but the rest of the Council and I do not care. That dog is going to pay..."

LINE BREAK

Little Rover stood in back of Biter and Growler, who were sniffing around a very familiar alley. Growler moved across the alley until he stood right behind a plastic toy bucket. Growler put his nose to the bucket and took a big whiff, inhaling everything. Biter stopped scrounging, and he looked at his fellow lackey. "Hey boss, I think Growler found something!" he yelled at his boss.

Both Biter and Little Rover walked over to Border collie, who looked up from the bucket. "What do you smell?" Little Rover demanded, and his eyes widened when he saw the fear in Growler's eyes. "What's wrong with you?"

"It can't be..." was all Growler could say.

"What can't be?" Biter asked, sensing his comrade's fear.

"The sister..." Growler managed to make out. After those two words, the Border collie said no more, but it was enough for Little Rover.

Growling with rage, Little Rover jumped up, only standing on his hind legs as he brought his front paws down on Growler. Growler grunted, and he found himself falling onto the ground on his belly. "Unless you two mess-ups want to meet your ends, you're going to follow her scent and take me to that canine..." Little Rover growled.

LINE BREAK

"So Mom's alive?" Lu Dog asked her brother, joy in her eyes. She and Ru were walking side-by-side down the dark alleys while Haley and Fu were walking behind.

"For now..." Ru Dog said softly, and Haley could hear both fear and sadness in the older male dog's tone. "Lu, I can't even tell you how happy I am to see that you're alive. Mom is going to be happy, too."

Lu Dog ignored what her brother just said, and instead asked: "Are we almost there?"

"Almost..." Ru confirmed. "We have maybe about another five minutes to walk..."

"So..." Haley finally decided to join the conversation. "Do you mind telling me what you were doing hiding out in the trash and attacking us?"

"Oh..." Ru startled Haley with his reply. "I guess I should apologize for that. Well, I know that Little Rover wants me dead, but I also know that Mom needs me to get her food and water. Basically, every time I go out to get food or water, I hide out on the way there, and on the way back. I was just on my way to the creek when I found my sister..."

Haley was about to ask another question, but she was stopped when they came to another turn, and Ru spoke again: "Here we are..." Then asked: "Are you ready to see Mom again, Lu?"

"Of course..." Lu replied.

"Alright..." Ru Dog said, starting to walk into the alley so that Haley and Fu could not see him as he spoke. "You three stay here while I tell her you're all here. Alright?"

Lu Dog was the only one to respond: with a big nod. Ru said nothing more for another moment or two, and the next thing Haley knew, she could hear him calling: "You can come here now!"

Haley and Fu Dog turned around the corner right after Lu did, and they could hear her gasp after only a minute. Right away, they could see why. On its stomach on the ground was a very frail and old looking dog, who looked too weak to even lift her head.

"Mom..." Lu gasped.

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

"Mom..." Lu repeated, and in the blink of an eye, the young golden retriever scampered over to her mother and sat down, licking at her mother's fur with tears in her eyes. "Mom, I'm here!" Lu exclaimed. "I'm sorry I've been gone, but I couldn't escape the Dragon Council! I'm here now, Mom!"

Haley watched as Lu's mother slowly opened her eyes, glancing over to her daughter. "My baby..." Lu's mother managed to make out. "My baby..."

"You never told me that you were with the Dragon Council..." Ru spoke up.

"It's not something I'm proud of..." Lu Dog looked up from her mother to look at her brother, before looking back down at her mother. "Mom, I'm here, and I'm here to stay. I'm not going anywhere..."

"That's good to know, my angel..." her mother said slowly, and it was clear to Haley that she was in a lot of pain. Ru had said that she would be gone within the week. Haley knew just by looking at Lu Dog's mother that Ru was wrong; their mother would be gone by morning.

"I'm going to take care of you..." Lu was saying. "Everything is going to be okay..."

"Oh, is it now?" Haley suddenly gasped and whirled around at the sound of a new, cruel voice behind her. Who she saw behind her made her gasp; standing in front of her was Little Rover, Biter and Growler at his side.

"How did you find us?" Haley turned back around as the three new dogs walked passed her, and Haley could see Ru standing right beside his sister and ill mother. "How did you find us?' Ru repeated.

"Oh, it was easy..." Little Rover started to gloat. "You see, everything is easy when I have two dogs that can track down pests such as you, Ru...And now...both you and your sister shall lose your lives..."

Both Lu and Ru Dog looked both speechless and terrified, and they could only stand there as the three dog dealers took a step toward them. "No..." came a very weak voice, and the next thing Haley knew, Lu Dog's mother shook as she slowly stood, taking her sweet time to make her way over to her two children.

Even though she was deathly ill, when she reached her children, blocking them from the three dangerous dogs, she stared up at Little Rover with a determined fire in her eyes. "You have already taken a child from me..." her voice shook with weakness, but at the same time, it was also very strong. "...I will not let you claim my last two..."

Little Rover just stared at then old, ailing dog for a moment. Then, before Haley's very own eyes, the dog snarled, opening his mouth and biting down on the older dog's throat. Lu's mother yelped in pain, and her leg's gave way, Lu's mother falling onto her belly and the rolling over onto her side. That was when Little Rover let go of the older dog. "Biter! Growler!" He commanded. "Kill these two!"

"Yes, sir!" Both dogs complied, and they leapt from their feet.

"No!" Haley shouted, and without thinking about it, she lifted off her feet and flew over to the Border collie and the pit bull, wrapping her tail and round both of their necks before they could touch either Lu or Ru. As the two lackey dogs yelped in pain, Haley flew higher up into the air, spinning her tail around, making the dogs yell. Finally, Haley let go, and both Biter and Growler went shooting up into the air; Haley looked up as the two dogs started to come down, and Haley followed the sight as, miles away, the two dogs came crashing back down, and even though it was far away, Haley could hear a screeching cat from where they landed.

From below Haley, Little Rover growled with rage, and jumped up, biting Haley in the back of her left wing. Haley roared in pain, and she came crashing down to the ground, Little Rover on top of her. "Lu Dog! Ru!" Haley called back to the two goldens. "Save yourselves! I'll be fine!"

Ru Dog nodded, and he turned, but before he could run, Lu rushed passed him and stopped him. "We can't just leave her..." Lu Dog glanced at Haley, who made eye contact.

"No, go!" Haley tried again, just as Little Rover snarled, biting down at her throat. Haley's eyes widened and she let out a gasp, but despite the sharp teeth threatening to puncture her, she managed to make out: "I'll be...fine..."

Lu stared right at the trapped pink dragon for a moment before she nodded, she and her brother turning and running out of the alley. With Lu Dog and her brother gone, Haley brought her gaze up, looking into the sky, just as she saw a flash of grey fur, and Haley felt free from the teeth around her throat. Even as she sat up, she knew what had happened before she saw the scene right in front of her; Fu had tackled Little Rover off of her, saving her life.

Haley could see that Little Rover was now viciously attacking the shar-pei; Fu Dog let out a howl of pain as Little Rover rammed into his side, making him fall over onto the ground. Little Rover wasted no time, and bit down on Fu's throat, hoisting him up off of the ground. "NO!" Haley shouted, searching frantically for something to help her. Fortunately, as she glanced at the piles of trash at the wall, Haley found a length of chains in the pile of the trash.

Wasting no time, Haley reached out and grabbed them, flying into the air and slamming her tail down on Little Rover's back, making him drop Fu as he uncharacteristically yelped in pain, dropping onto his belly. Haley reacted quickly, and she wrapped the chains around Little Rover's neck before he could react, creating a makeshift leash. Little Rover was then pulled to his feet as Haley dragged him over to the dumpster; Haley put a hole in the wall of the dumpster, and she slid the chains in, wrapping them around the hole and tying them in place using her dragon strength.

"Hey, kid..." Haley turned away from the now secured criminal dog when she her Fu's solemn voice. Fu Dog was standing beside Lu Dog's mother, who had gotten up, and as Haley walked over to the ill, fallen dog, she knew exactly why. Lu's mother was struggling to breathe, and there was a large wet spot on her neck where Little Rover had bitten her. "Dragon..." Lu's mother made out, and Haley unconsciously found herself kneeling down to the dog. "...You have taken care of my daughter..." Lu's mother smiled softly. "...You kept her safe for me..."

"I tried my best..." Haley said; although she didn't know if it was true, she still felt obligated to say something.

"...Thank you, dragon..." Lu's mother replied. "But...I must ask you one last thing...Save my children. Find them..." As soon as her request was made known, Lu Dog's mother let out a sigh, her body relaxed, and her eyes fluttered shut. As she sat next to the dog, no words were needed from Haley nor Fu. They both knew it; Lu's mother was gone.

Haley looked up from the dog on the ground, when she heard the chain pulling against the dumpster. Haley shot up, and she turned to Little Rover, rage evident in her eyes. "You monster!" Haley shouted. "How could you do such a thing? Why...I have almost half a mind to destroy you myself!"

"Then why don't you..." Little Rover growled. "I'd rather be destroyed than handed over to the dragons..."

Hearing this, Haley's face softened, but she still felt furious. "If that's what you want..." Haley finally growled. "Then fine, but that doesn't mean I have to dirty my claws. Let's see how long you can last chained to a dumpster out here with no food. Come on, Fu Dog..."

Haley then turned around, allowing Fu Dog to jump on her back as she lifted off of the ground and flew away.

LINE BREAK

Meanwhile, Ulixes and Sun still stood on the roof, looking down into the alleys. "Why aren't we going down there to look for them?" Sun asked in an annoyed tone. What really annoyed Sun was that Councilor Ulixes seemed like one dragon that did not stick to her goals.

"I'm waiting for signs..." Ulixes replied after a moment, a smirk on her face. But then, her smile faded, and she pointed down into one of the alleys. "Look!" Sun walked over to the councilor, and she too could see Lu Dog and her brother running into one of the alleys; the two just froze for a moment, looking around before they turned to one of the buildings, walking over to it and disappearing from sight. Sun turned her head from the alley and looked at Ulixes as the councilor started to laugh. "We have her now! Come, Master Park!"

LINE BREAK

Lu Dog and Ru panted as the passed through the small window at the ground, landing in the middle of a warm boiler room. While Ru looked up to make sure that they were not being followed, Lu looked around the boiler room, finding two conveyer belts, gasping as she saw who was working behind it.

"Stu!" Lu cried happily, making the dog at the conveyer belt turn his head just as Ru rejoined Lu's side. "Oh my..." Stu muttered after blinking a few times. "Lu Dog? is that really you? But...they told me you were dead..."

"They didn't finish the job..." Lu couldn't help but smile as Stu made his way over to his two siblings with wide eyes. "I made it...and I've come back, and I'm here to stay..."

Stu could feel a smile of his own creeping across his face. "I'm glad that's true..." He said as he started to walk over to his siblings, but before he could fully get to them, an explosion came from up above, and part of the ceiling came crashing down, two dragons landing on the floor.

"Hello, criminal dog..." Ulixes grinned as she took a step toward the three dogs. "i hope you now see just how foolish you were to did what you did. And now, there is nowhere to turn or run. I think your best option is to just surrender." As Lu Dog looked down at the ground in shame, Stu and Ru looked at each other before they walked in front of their sister, blocking Ulixes from her. Ulixes, however, grinned at this sight. "That's okay..." she said. "I'll arrest you two mutts as well; assisting a dangerous criminal..." Another step toward the three dogs...

Just as Ulixes was about to be right in front of the three dogs, a loud crash came from the lower window, and Haley and Fu Dog flew in, landing on the ground. As Fu slid off of Haley's back, Haley spoke up. "Fu and I aren't going to let you take these three dogs!"

Now, Ulixes' grin had completely faded, and she now looked furious. "Dragon Long..." Ulixes stammered. "Do you have any idea what you're doing? You are assisting an offender of the Magical World!"

"Does it look like I care?" Haley shot back.

Ulixes was now shaking with rage. "Master Park, control your student before she gets herself into irreversible trouble!"

Sun just stared at Ulixes for a moment before she frowned, walking passed her and over to Haley and the others. Crossing her arms, Sun spoke: "No, Councilor. I'm not going to let you keep doing this. You're corrupt. Just let this dog be with her family..."

Ulixes now looked like she had steam coming out of her ears. "I expected this from that shar-pei, but now from you, Master Park!" she roared. "Now, you leave me no choice! HIYAH!" Ulixes then leapt from her feet, her claws ready to strike. Haley reacted quickly, and she flew up into the air as Ulixes slammed her tail into Fu and Sun, sending them flying sideways onto the floor.

As Ulixes landed right in front of the three goldens, Haley reached into the catwalk that she was beside, grabbing hold of a large bone. "HIYAH!" Haley shouted as she whirled, letting go of the large bone, sending it on a collision course for Ulixes' head. Just as Ulixes raised her claws, the bone struck her in the side of the head; Ulixes' eyes bulged out of their sockets and she gasped, her claws lowering as she fell sideways, onto the floor with a thud.

The three goldens just stared at the motionless Dragon Council member on the floor as Haley lowered to the ground, walking over to the three dogs. Haley kneeled down and smiled as the three golden retrievers looked at her. "I can't believe you just did that..." Lu Dog was in shock. "You're going to be in so much trouble..."

Haley found her smile widening as she added: "I think I'll be just fine. What really matters, though, is that you're home now, Lu Dog. You're home, and there is no force on this planet that can take you away from them again..."

LINE BREAK

Councilor Ulixes groaned as she forced her eyes open. As her vision cleared, and the pounding pain in her head started to fade, she found that she knew exactly where she was, she just didn't know how she had gotten here. Ulixes groaned as she slowly sat up, not surprised to see Haley sitting next to her in her human form. "Dragon Long..." Ulixes could only ask. "How did I get here? What happened?"

"You saved us..." Haley sat up. "You saved Fu, Sun and I from a maniac. You were hurt, and we managed to bring you back here. You're going to be alright. Oh..." Haley added as if she had forgotten something, and she reached over to the counter, holding out a tray of Styrofoam cups. "As a token of our appreciation, Sun had Fu cook up these drinks for you..."

LINE BREAK

The sun was starting to go down as Haley walked up to the roof of Canal Street Electronics. Closing the door behind her, Haley walked over to the ledge, where Fu Dog and a dragon Sun were looking over. Fu seemed to sense Haley's presence, and he turned around. "Well?" Fu asked. "How did it go?"

"I gave the memory potion to Councilor Ulixes, and I gave her the rest of the potions for the rest of the Council..." Haley sighed as she sat in-between her master and shar-pei. "It felt wrong..."

"Sometimes, kid..." Fu replied. "You have to go against authority figures to do what is right..."

"Fu Dog is right, Haley..." Sun replied, looking at her pupil. "We couldn't let Ulixes take Lu Dog away from her family again. It was wrong of the Council to force her to do that in the first place. You have made that dog very happy, Haley..."

LINE BREAK

Lu Dog was at the creak, along with her two brothers. All three were looking down at the water, and all three looked sad. "We're all together again..." Stu sighed. "Yet Mother is gone..."

"We only have each other..." Ru agreed.

"So, what do we do now?" Lu asked, turning her head to her brothers.

"We keep going, Lu..." Ru answered. "We look out for each other. Maybe, we can look for a family..." As he said this, both her and Stu turned and started to walk away from the creak.

However, Lu Dog stayed, looking down at the water as if in a trance. "Hey Lu, are you coming?" Stu Dog asked, making Lu turn her head from the water, and to her brothers, who were standing quite far away, just looking at her, seeing if she was going to stay there or come with them.

"Yeah..." Lu said softly. "I'm coming..."

Lu then turned, and sprinted over to her brothers. She was finally home.

BLACKOUT; END EPISODE

**A/N: So, there it is. What did you think? I really appreciate any feedback and I can get, so please review. **


	18. Chapter 18

American Dragon (Season One)

Chapter/Episode 18: Return of the Slayer

Eighteen year old Haley Long held her breath as she held a white envelope in her hands. Her parents, Jonathan and Susan, and her only friend, Leah Belden, were in front of her, eager looks on their faces. "Go ahead and open it, Haley..." Susan urged.

"But what if they refused me?" Haley asked.

"What if they accepted you?" Leah countered. "The only way you're going to find out if you got in is if you open it..."

"Fine..." Haley grumbled, ripping open the envelope and sliding the piece of paper into her hand. Dropping the torn envelope onto the ground, Haley unfolded the envelope, looking at it for a few minutes, doing nothing else.

In fact, Haley was taking such a long time looking at the letter, that Jonathan prompted: "Well?"

Hearing her father speak, Haley let loose a small grin, and she lowered the letter. "I got in!"

"Haley, that's great!" Leah exclaimed. "You know what that means? That means that we're going to the same college!"

LINE BREAK

The door to the Long house opened, and both Haley and Leah walked out of the house, Haley closing the door behind them. The two girls then walked down the steps and turned, walking down the sidewalk.

However, if they had stayed, and looked up, they might have seen someone on the roof of the Long house; someone dressed in a dark-red ninja uniform. A Huntsclan member...

BLACKOUT; PLAY THEME SONG

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

"There it is, Haley..." Leah exclaimed, wonder in her tone as she and Haley stood in front of a large building, which was about four stories tall, had big wooden doors and had older students walking to and from them. "...The school we'll be attending next year. Our college. It's beautiful, isn't it Haley?"

Haley, who was also staring at the college, couldn't help but have a disappointed look on her face. She really did not want to go to this college, but it was the only one that had accepted her, and she had to be thankful for that.

"Haley?" Leah repeated.

"Oh!" Haley returned back to the actual world, rather than the world in her head. "Yeah...I guess it is..."

Leah's bright face seemed to darken, and the girl looked down at the ground. When Haley noticed this, she felt like she needed to say something, but before she could, Haley could feel a vibrating feeling coming from her jeans pocket, followed by a ringing sound. Sighing, Haley reached into her pocket, pulling out her communication device, just as a holographic image of Sun Park appeared.

"Yes, Sun?"

"Haley, I need you to come to the shop..." Sun ordered. "There is a dragon emergency..."

LINE BREAK

When Haley entered Canal Street Electronics, she was surprised to see Sun sitting next to a large female goblin, who was crying hysterically. Fu Dog was on the counter, trying to cover his ears in an attempt to block out the annoying blubbering of the goblin's wails. Sun herself looked a little annoyed, and she turned her head towards Haley when she heard the bell above the door ringing.

"Aw, you made it here in perfect timing..." Sun smiled slightly.

"What's going on?" Haley walked over to Sun and the goblin.

"Oh, American Dragon!" the goblin managed to say in-between sobs. "You must help me! My kitten has run off!"

"Your kitten?" Haley asked, not believing her ears. Sun had said that this was a magical emergency, when the only thing she was going to be doing was searching for some stupid cat!

"Yes!" the goblin made out. "She got away last night! I have no idea where she could have gotten to! American Dragon, you have to help me!"

"Uh-huh..." Haley just stared at the sobbing goblin, before turning to meet Sun's gaze. "Sun, can I talk to you...alone?"

LINE BREAK

Sun had followed Haley into the bathroom, and the dragon master walked by Haley as the American Dragon closed the door behind them. "What is it, Haley?" Sun asked.

"You said this was a magical emergency!" Haley suddenly blurted out, failing to keep herself calm. "I rushed down here, abandoning Leah thinking that we had a problem! And what do I have to deal with? Finding a cat! I mean, why should this be my problem? Maybe if that goblin had just closed her door, the cat wouldn't have escaped! If she didn't have the common sense to close her door, why should I have to...?"

"Haley!" Sun cut her pupil off, her voice stern. "We've been through this before. As a dragon, you are a guardian and protector..."

"Alright!" Haley cut her master off, crossing her arms in disappointment. "I understand. I'll find her cat..."

LINE BREAK

Haley sighed, kicking a crumpled soda can away from the sidewalk with her shoe as she walked down the sidewalk in human form, looking for any sign of the goblin's cat. The goblin had given a very detailed description: it was a dark calico, it walked with a limp, and it had a red ribbon tied around its neck instead of a collar. It seemed like a good enough description for Haley, and she thought she could find the animal rather easily.

Haley let out another sigh, reaching into the pockets of her jeans and looking down at the ground as she continued along the sidewalk. However, as she passed by an alley, she stopped in her tracks as her ear picked up the sound of something being knocked over in the alley. Haley took a step backwards and peered into the dark alley.

Shrugging, Haley decided that it was worth a shot. Taking a step into the alley, Haley looked at both walls, looking down at the ground, looking for any sign of the cat. As she took another step in, she heard a screeching sound, and Haley froze. "Gotcha!" Haley whispered in triumph, starting to walk further into the alley, completely unaware of the dark figure standing on the roof of the building to the right of Haley.

"Here, kitty-kitty..." Haley purred out loud, walking deeper into the alley, looking down at the ground just in time to see a dark, small, four-legged creature scurrying passed her. "No, kitty!" Haley almost wanted to mentally kick herself as she found herself trying to reason with the creature, but nonetheless, she continued. "Kitty, I just want to help you..." As she got closer to where the creature had scurried off to, Haley found that the animal cowering against the wall was in fact the goblin's cat.

"Come here..." Haley said softly, crouching down and holding out her arms for the cat. The cat just stared at Haley for a moment, before it walked over to Haley, allowing her to pick up the calico in her hands. Standing up straight, Haley turned around just as the figure dropped from the roof.

However, Haley didn't notice, as she was too preoccupied with the cat in her arms. It was not until Haley could hear the figure's footprints that she looked up, seeing the dark figure advancing toward her. "Who are you?" Haley demanded, setting the cat down.

Haley's question did not get an answer, and as the dark figure took one step closer to Haley, Haley could feel flames engulf her body as she transformed into her pink dragon form. With a battle cry, Haley lifted off of her feet and slammed into the dark figure. The person Haley had just tackled yelled in surprise as they were thrown back, and they grunted in pain as they hit the ground right in front of the wall. "WHO ARE YOU?" Haley demanded again, hoping to intimidate the person.

"Haley, stop!" the person immediately shouted in a female's voice. "Haley, what are you doing? It's only me!"

"Huh?" As she heard these words, Haley loosened her grip on the person, and she slowly found herself getting off of the person and backing up in shock as they slowly got up and brush herself off.

"Rose?"

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

"Rose?" Haley asked again, too surprised to completely trust her eyes. "Is that really you?" The young dragon could not take her eyes off of the young woman in front of her; Rose had grown up to become a tall and strong-looking, yet skinny girl of 24 years of age. She still wore her Huntsclan uniform that she wore on that fateful day nine years prior, only now it looked about three sizes too small for her. Her luscious golden hair was still in the same braid, only it was now looser, longer and had been slung over her left shoulder, and it had strands sticking out. Basically, Rose looked like she had been sleeping in the dirt, surviving off of half-eaten food from dumpsters and whatever animals she could catch, and had been bathing in a river for nine years. Staring the young huntress down, Haley realized that it was not just her imagination; Rose really was standing in front of her. "Rose?" Haley repeated, as Rose just stared at her, waiting for her to respond. "What are you doing here?"

"Haley..."

"No, I mean really!" Haley cut her off. "You're wanted by the Dragon Council for murder, Rose! If you get caught...or if I get spotted talking to you, do you know how much trouble I could get in? You could go to prison!"

"Haley!" It was Rose's turn to cut the young dragon off. "I know it's risky, but I'm willing to take a chance. I need your help. Jake is missing."

LINE BREAK

"What do you mean he's missing?" Susan Long demanded, sitting down on the couch, hugging her husband's arm, while Sun Park and Fu Dog sat next to the married couple, worried looks on their faces. Rose was sitting in a chair in front of them, while Haley was standing by her side. "What happened?' Susan asked, trying to calm down.

"I'm not sure..." Rose answered honestly. "We usually never left each other's side. But then when we landed yesterday afternoon, he asked me to go find some food; me alone. I figured that he was just tired and needed to rest, so I agreed. Then, when I came back, he was gone..."

"Hmm..." Fu Dog finally opened his mouth. "Are you sure that the kid just didn't wander off and get lost? I mean, surely the kid is capable of something like that..."

While his wife clung onto him, Jonathan felt some relief from the shar-pei's words. Trying to convince himself, he spoke: "Yes, Rose. Fu could have a point. Maybe Jake-a-roo just got a little lost..."

"No!" Rose answered, her tome confident. "I know he just didn't wander off! I wouldn't have come here if I didn't know he was in trouble!"

"How do you know he's in trouble, Rose?" Sun asked.

"This is why..." Rose answered, kneeling down and reaching into her boot. Haley watched curiously as Rose fished around inside the boot before she could tell that Rose had grabbed something. Rose straightened, and Haley could see that was something was in Rose's fist. Slowly, Rose uncurled her fingers, making it so that Haley could see exactly what she was holding: a strip of grey cloth. "Is this proof enough for you?" Rose asked. "Because it is for me. Jake was taken, and he needs help. That's why I came..."

Haley wasn't listening to Rose's last words; she was too busy looking at the cloth in Rose's hand. She knew who it belonged to, and therefore, she knew who possibly had Jake. Haley looked up to look at her parents, who both had looks of confusion of their faces, however, when Haley glanced at Sun and Fu, they both appeared to be thinking the same thing that Haley was.

"Oh boy..." Fu muttered.

"What?" Rose asked. "What is it?"

"Rose, we know who has Jake..." Haley said, making Rose jerk her head toward the American Dragon with wide eyes. "We know who has Jake..." Haley repeated. "And we're going to help you. Sun, you and Fu Dog search for any signs of him. Rose, you come with me."

"Where are we going?" Rose asked.

"To the only person in a higher authority in the Magical World that will be willing to help us..."

LINE BREAK

If anyone was on top of the Empire State Building, they would have heard the sound of rapid flapping, and then they most likely would have run away screaming at the sight of a pink dragon landing on the roof with a young woman on its back.

Rose hopped off of Haley's back as Haley reverted to her human form. "You never told me who you called, Haley..." Rose told the young dragon as Haley walked over the edge, staring out toward the sky. "Perhaps coming to you was a bad idea after all..."

"No, it wasn't..." Haley replied without turning around. "We know who possibly has Jake. Without us, you never would have figured it out, and Jake would have been lost forever..."

Rose was about to open her mouth and say something else, but before she could, she head another pair of flapping wings, and the next thing she knew, a purple dragon was heading for the Empire State Building. "Good." Rose could hear Haley mutter. "She's finally here..."

It wasn't until the purple dragon had landed on the roof and reverted to her human form that Rose recognized the young woman beside Haley. Holly was saying something to Haley that she could not hear. Whatever it was, the message was quick, for right after, Holly turned and smiled as she made her way over to Rose, wrapping her arms around her in a big, tight dragon hug. "Rose, it's so good to see you again!" Holly exclaimed. "It's been so long!" As she said this, Holly let go of Rose and stared her down. "Wow...you've grown..."

"Uh, thanks..." Rose replied, feeling a little awkward. "You as well. And look at you...Dragon Council member!"

"Eh, it isn't as great as I thought it would be..." Holly shrugged as Haley walked over to the two of them. "You did the right thing by contacting me, Haley..."

"You're going to help me?" Rose asked. "But won't you get in trouble with the rest of the Council?"

"Of course I'm going to help you!" Holly exclaimed. "Jake's my friend, and I know you're not a cold-blooded killer, Rose. Besides, most of the other Councilors are already breathing down my back. So, do you have any leads, Haley?"

LINE BREAK

In a dark room, a red dragon groaned as his eyes slowly opened and he lifted his head, taking in his surroundings. The red dragon, the former American Dragon, Jake Long, had grown quite a bit in his nine year absence from his family; he still was a rather thin, snake-like looking dragon, but he had grown strong.

Shaking his head in an attempt to clear it, Jake suddenly realized that he was against a wall, and he realized that his arms were pulled up above his head, shackled to the wall. Growling, Jake tugged at the wall, but even with all of his strength, his shackles refused to give. Growling with frustration instead of anger, Jake was about to try again, but before he could start to struggle, he heard an evil chuckle right in front of him, just as a bright light flashed on. As soon as Jake's eyes got used to the light, he could see a figure in a dark, grey cloak and a woman with a dark blue cloak and a scowl on her face. The dragon and the woman that had captured him...

"I can see it now..." the cloaked dragon chuckled. "The resemblance is uncanny. A very good catch, my slave..." As the cloaked dragon said this, the thief growled, clenching her fists. "It is very fortunate that he stumbled upon us-the American Dragon's older brother. Just perfect!"

"What do you want?" Jake growled, trying to pose himself off as a threat even when chained up.

The cloaked dragon ignored his prisoner to an extent, and he turned to the thief. "The American Dragon will be willing to pay with the Hourglass to get her brother back...I'm certain of it. Now, what I need you to do is go find her and bring her here. Then, we can make the deal. I'll show her that I mean business..."

At first, the thief looked like she was about to comment on the plan, but she refrained herself and simply nodded. "Very well..." she said, turning and walking out of the room.

LINE BREAK

Sun Park landed in the middle of a deserted road, letting Fu Dog off of her back. "So, what exactly are we looking for?" Fu looked up at Sun.

"I'm not entirely sure, Fu Dog..." Sun answered truthfully. "Just look for any sign of Jake or that dragon. See if you can smell anything..."

"I'm afraid that won't be necessary..." a female voice suddenly, and both Sun and Fu Dog looked up to the roof of a nearby building, where the voice had come from. Neither were surprised to see that the person standing on the roof was none other than the cloaked dragon's thief. The thief grinned wickedly as she jumped from the roof, landing on her feet, reaching to her belt and pulling out her futuristic gun, which she pointed at the two.

"Where's the American Dragon?" she demanded.

"She's not here!" Sun growled.

"What a pity..." the thief pointed the gun at the ground and fired, Sun jumping back as the blast hit, blasting chunks of cement out of place. Scowling, Sun removed her gaze from the ground and up to the thief, who was now aiming for her head. "You have thirty seconds to contact her..." the thief warned.

LINE BREAK

Haley and Rose stood on the opposite side of Holly as the young Dragon Councilor held the cloth in her hand. "You're certain that this is the fabric from the dragon's cloak?" Holly asked. "If it is, then the only thing that remains a problem is how you are going to find and rescue Jake."

"I sent Sun and Fu Dog to go out and see if they can find any sign of Jake or the dragon..." Haley responded, just as she could feel a vibrating feeling in her jeans pocket, followed by the ringing. "That should be Sun now..." Haley added as she reached for her communication device, pressing a button. Haley expected to see Sun on the other end, and she let out a gasp as she saw the holographic image of the thief on the other end.

"Hello, American Dragon..." the thief grinned cruelly. "If you haven't guessed by now, you seeing me can only mean one thing: I have your dog and your master. I've also got a very special surprise: we also have your brother. Come meet me on 85th Street to save them, and then I'll take you to your brother..." Then, the image of the thief was gone.

Growling with anger, Haley threw her communication device to the ground, breaking it in two, before she turned to face Rose and Holly. "Come on, Rose..." Haley growled. "We're going. Holly, go back to the Island of Draco and get some back-up. We're going to get those two today..."

LINE BREAK

Rose could sense that Haley was extremely angry as the ex-Huntsclan member rode on the American Dragon's back. They had been flying for about five minutes, and Rose knew they were getting pretty close to 85th Street. "Haley..." Rose gave talking to the young dragon a shot.

"What?" Haley shot back.

"Everything is going to be okay..." Rose tried to tell her. "We'll save them. Just...try to relax, okay?" Just as Rose said those words, she noticed that they were right above 85th Street; Rose tightened her grip on Haley as the young dragon dived to the ground, allowing Rose off as her feet touched the ground. Haley looked out down the street, and she immediately growled when she saw the person she was looking for just below the streetlight, the unmoving Sun Park and Fu Dog, slung over a light-post near the sidewalk.

"Sun! Fu Dog!" Haley exclaimed, Rose's eyes widening with fear for the shar-pei and the Korean Dragon. "What did you do to them?" Haley roared, walking toward the thief with her claws ready to tear into her flesh. Haley wanted to do it, too. They had her brother, and now she had hurt her dragon master and Animal Guardian. Both villains had crossed the line.

"Don't worry, dragon..." the thief grinned, holding her futuristic gun tight in her grip. "...They haven't been slain yet..."

Haley could feel her blood boiling with anger, and she started to think about ways to defeat her foe. However, she was pulled out of her thoughts when she realized that Rose had made her way over to the light-post. The thief noticed this as well, as she gasped in surprise when she saw Rose sprinting over. Haley took this opportunity to attack, and she dived for the thief, but as she landed on her belly, the thief jumped away and ran over to Rose, grabbing onto her foot as the young woman started to climb up the post. Pulling, Rose lost her grip, and she fell onto her back with the thief towering over her. Still, Rose did not give up, and she brought her leg up, trying to kick the thief. However, the thief was ready, and she grabbed onto Rose's ankle and with a great force, swung Rose; Rose lifted off of the ground and she let out a grunt as the thief slammed her against the pole.

The thief released Rose's ankle, and the young huntress dropped to the ground. "Rose!" Haley shouted, spreading out her wings and flapping them, taking her over to the thief. However, the thief only grinned, reaching down and pressing a button on her belt, making to small engines pop out. Fire immediately shot out, and the thief lifted off of the ground as Haley landed right where the thief had just been standing.

"If you want your brother..." the thief grinned. "...Follow me!" Then, the thief sped away.

Haley growled as she looked from Rose, Sun and Fu to the fleeing thief. "Haley..." Haley could hear Rose's weak voice, and the huntress slowly sat up. "Go after her. I'll take care of Sun and Fu."

"I have a better idea..." Haley replied, grabbing Rose by her wrist and swinging her over onto her back as she flew up to where Sun was hanging over the post. "I'm so sorry, Sun..." Haley quickly apologized as she quickly reached into Sun's pocket and pulled out her communication device. Then, Haley flew off after the thief.

BLACKOUT; COMMERCIAL BREAK

BACK TO THE STORY/SHOW

The big doors to the Main Hall on the Island of Draco were pushed open as Holly stepped inside, surprised to see that only Councilor Fachtna was sitting at the table, looking at some papers. As the big doors closed and Holly walked closer to the table, Fachtna looked up, his face stern. "Yes, Councilor Jennings..."

Holly sighed as she stopped right in front of the table. "The American Dragon's fugitive brother has been captured by the mysterious dragon that Dragon Long has been trying to stop..." She reported, then felt like a horrible person as she added: "She is going after him with the Huntsgirl. This would be the perfect opportunity to finally capture them..."

"Really?" Fachtna asked, his lips curling into a frown. "And tell me how you know this while I do not..."

"She asked me to tell you..." Holly lied. "She is leading the Huntsgirl into a trap. She needs us to be there..."

Fachtna's frown only got tighter. "I hardly believe that she would set up her own brother. That just sounds too good to be true. If you have no real proof for me, leave me..."

Holly just stood there, not really knowing what to do now. Her mouth was open slightly, but no more words came out. Haley needed reinforcements. She couldn't fail her friends, but it looked like she was going to. Suddenly, before Holly could move, there came a loud ringing noise from her robes. Reaching in, Holly pulled out her communication device, pressing a button that released a holographic image of Haley.

"Holly, we're following the thief!" Haley explained quickly. "She's going to take us to Jake! Unfortunately, there's one more thing I need you to do. Once you get the reinforcements, I need you to go down to 85th Street. Sun and Fu were hurt, but I couldn't help them. I need you to go down there and get them whatever help they need..."

Then, the hologram faded, and Holly lowered her device to see that Fachtna was now looking at her. Holly could feel a smug smile spreading across her face. "Proof enough?"

LINE BREAK

It hadn't taken too long for Haley to find the thief. After she had caught up with the thief, it had basically been a chasing game until the thief dived down and landed in front of a run-down building and ran inside. Haley immediately dived down and swooped into the building, landing on her feet and immediately catching sight of Jake, shackled to the wall. "Rose! Haley!" he exclaimed.

"Jake!" Both Haley and Rose returned, Rose sliding off of Haley's back and making her way over to the shackled dragon.

Suddenly, there came two different shouts, and the next thing Haley knew, she yelled in surprise as something smacked into her chest, and she went flying across the room until she landed on her back, the cloaked dragon lifting to the ground right in front of her, just as the thief came flying into the room with her jet back, slamming into Rose, sending both of them flying across the room.

"Hello, Haley..." the cloaked dragon chuckled. "It's good to see you again. I'm sure you know what I want in exchange for your brother..."

"Yes, I do..." Haley growled as she slowly stood up. "But you're not going to get it. It's on the Island of Draco, in a special location that I can't even get to. You'll never get the Ucrono..."

The cloaked dragon just stood there for a moment; if Haley could see his eyes, she was sure that they would be wide with shock. Suddenly, the cloaked dragon roared with rage, and he lifted off of the ground, blowing fire at Haley. Haley quickly dodged the blast, somersaulting across the floor before she flew up to the dragon. The cloaked dragon growled, and delivered a punch...

Even as Rose was swerving through the room, feeling like she was about to be sick, she refused to not fight. The two delivered punches and kicks, and while Rose was able to avoid all of the thief's, the thief was not as luck. The thief groaned as Rose's fist made contact with her face; as the thief's head lulled to the side, Rose jumped off, landing on her feet as the thief came crashing down to the ground.

Grinning, Rose walked over to the thief and bent over, pulling the futuristic gun from the belt. Rose stood back up and walked over to Jake, pointing the gun at the chains attached to the manacles. After two blasts, Jake lowered his arms and Rose tossed the gun to the side. "Jake!" She exclaimed, starting to extend her arms, for a hug, but Jake stopped her, holding up his claws.

"Not yet..." Jake told her. "Just...wait here..."

Not even waiting for Rose to respond, Jake lifted off of the ground and flew over to where Haley and the cloaked dragon were fighting in mid-air. Just as the cloaked dragon blocked one of Haley's blows, he grunted as Jake slammed into him. The cloaked dragon went flying across the room, but he managed to stop himself, just in time for Jake to blow a torrent of fire right at him.

Thinking quickly, the cloaked dragon brought his arms up to his cloaked face just as the fire hit him. Haley watched as the fire burned through his cloak, the burning pieces of fabric drifting to the floor. Haley returned her gaze from the floating and flaming pieces of cloak back to the dragon, only to gasp. Now that the cloak was gone, Haley could see what the dragon looked like: strong, dark red, a cruel grin on his face...a dark purple Chinese dragon mark on his side. On his back was a strap that had a huntstaff hooked to it. Then, in a flash of dark red light, the dragon faded away, and a person dropped to the ground. This time, Haley was not surprised, although it was Jake's turn to gasp. The person wore a dark red Huntsclan uniform and mask; there was only one person it could be...

"The Hunter..." Haley growled.

"Yes..." The Hunter said, his eyes glowing with glee. "Surprised?" He asked as he turned his head when he heard his thief groaning. "Where do you think you're going?" he demanded as she slowly started to stand and sway toward the door. The Hunter held out his hand toward her, and Haley's eyes widened as the thief's hand started to glow a bright green color, dragging her over to him. As the thief reached him, the glowing stopped, and the thief scowled as The Hunter used his other hand to pull out his staff.

"I will get the Hourglass, dragons..." The Hunter declared. "And once I do, the Huntsclan will return!" Before Haley or Jake could do anything, The Hunter tapped the staff on the ground, and both villains disappeared in a bright green orb of light.

Both siblings could only stand there in shock for the few seconds before the front wall was blasted away, Fachtna and Holly both walking into the room in dragon forms, closely followed by an army of armed and armored dragon soldiers.

Fachtna grinned at the sight of Jake, Rose by his side. "Former American Dragon Jake Long and Huntsgirl..." Fachtna spoke. "You are under arrest for treason and murder. You are both surrounded and have nowhere to run. Why don't you two just surrender?"

LINE BREAK

Haley could hear her mother sniffling as she stood along with her mother and father in the hall of the prison, right in front of and outside the cell that now held Jake and Rose. Sun Park and Fu were also in the hall; Sun had several bruises and she still held an ice-pack to her head, while Fu also had several bruises and also walked with a limp.

"The Council is going to have us executed, aren't they?" Rose asked, crossing her arms as Jake put his arm around her.

"Probably..." Jake answered honestly. "I don't regret saving you, though..."

"I don't regret saving you either..." Rose replied, a small smile appearing on her face despite the circumstances.

"Yeah, but there's still something I just don't get..." Fu finally spoke up. "How did that Huntsclan Dragon catch you, kid?"

"I kind of wandered off after I sent Rose out to get food..." Jake answered slowly after a moment. "I was looking for something, and as I was looking, I came across that old run-down warehouse. Let's just say that that lady caught me by surprise. Then, the next thing I knew, I was locked up."

"What were you looking for?" Haley asked.

Jake didn't answer at first, and Haley thought that Jake wasn't going to. Finally, Jake reverted to his human form and reached into the pocket of his unzipped red jacket that was now too small for him, and he pulled out a chain. At first, Haley was confused, but then she realized that Jake had reached into his pocket again, pulling out something that he handed immediately to Rose.

Rose's eyes widened as she took the item in her hands. It was a piece of metal, the size and shape of a soldier's dog-tag. On the surface was a large "R", a "+", which must have been symbolizing an "and", and then a large "J".

"Rose and Jake..." Jake told her, a loving smile on his face. "I was looking for this chain. I had just found and pocketed it when that crazy lady caught me."

"Oh Jake..." was all Rose could say.

Still, Jake continued. "I love you, and I made this for you. If this is the end, I want you to have it now."

Rose just stared at the dog-tag in her hand with a small on her face. Rose then looked up at Jake, her hand reaching out and taking the chain from Jake's hand. Haley and the others watched as Rose slowly attached the chain to the dog-tag before slipping it around her neck.

"I love you too, Jake..." Rose replied.

No sooner had Rose uttered these words, than a loud clang was heard as the door to the prison chamber closed. Seconds later, Councilor Fachtna arrived, with Holly and Greggy on opposite sides of him. While Fachtna and Greggy looked pleased, Holly looked ashamed.

"Greggy..." Jake growled. "What are you doing here?"

"Didn't anyone tell you?" Greggy grinned cruelly. "I'm on the Council. I'm here to tell my inferior cuz that he and his lady friend are going to fry tomorrow morning..."

"Yes..." Fachtna's smile widened as he got closer to the bars. "You both shall be put to death tomorrow morning..." Then, he added maliciously. "Any last requests?"

"Yeah!" Jake growled. "Why don't you come in here so that the old Am Drag can kick your scaly behind?"

Fachtna's grin only widened. "I don't think so..." He said. "Come Councilors..." He and Greggy then turned and started to walk away, but Holly stayed where she was.

"Councilor, if you do not mind..." Holly spoke. "I'm going to stay here and look after the prisoners. I'll make sure that they will not escape..."

"Very well..." Fachtna didn't even look at her as he and Greggy were walking out. However, as Fachtna and Greggy turned around the corner where they could not be seen, Fachtna turned to Greggy. "Spy on her..." he ordered. "I know she has had a friendly relationship with the two prisoners."

"That's no secret, sir..." Greggy replied.

"Yes, and that is enough for me to kick her off of the Council..." Fachtna scowled. "However, what keeps me from banishing her is the fact that I feel like I need to keep an eye on her. If she is banished, she will without a doubt align with people like Jake Long and the Huntsgirl. Here...I can keep her in check..."

"Yes, sir..." Greggy replied, turning and peeking from the corner as Fachtna turned and continued to walk down the hall.

LINE BREAK

Once she knew she was alone, Holly turned to the Long family, plus Sun and Fu Dog. "Get out..." Holly ordered softly. "I'll handle this. Just go. Everything will be okay..."

Every single member of the family looked like they were about to argue, but nonetheless, they turned and walked down the hall. As soon as the last one had disappeared, Holly turned and looked into the cell, reaching into her robes and pulling out a key. Holly placed it into the lock of the cell door and pushed it open, stepping into the cell.

"This is all my fault..." Holly looked at the ground. "I'm sorry, but Haley said she needed help, and I had to tell Fachtna..."

"It's alright, Holly..." Jake told her softly.

Holly just shook her head. "No...it's not..." Holly finally said. "That's why I'm going to make it right..." As she spoke, she reached into her robes again, pulling out to sets of armor. "These are two guard uniforms. Put these on and get out of here as quick as humanly possible. I can't let you two face execution..."

Holly then turned and walked out of the cell, turning and walking down the corner. "Well, well, well..." Holly suddenly froze in her tracks, and she could feel her heart skipping several beats as she turned around to see Greggy with a big smile and crossed arms. "What a show!" Greggy continued. "You just let two criminals escape..."

LINE BREAK

Haley now stood on the grass in the moonlight along with her family. She couldn't help but listen to her mother's wailing as she and the others could only watch as two armored dragon guards swung two noosed ropes over the branch of the only tree on the island. Haley could feel her heart dropping into her stomach. She couldn't believe it...Her brother was going to be executed...

"I can't believe it!" Susan wailed behind her, making Haley's exact thoughts known to the others. "Our baby boy!"

"It's okay, Susan..." Jonathan was saying, although it was obvious that he was on the verge of tears.

Haley couldn't take it anymore! She had to look away from the sight of what would be the place of her brother's death! Anything would do! Haley found herself turning toward the prison, then gazing up at the moon, only to suddenly gasp as she caught sight of something. A dragon flying into the moonlight. There was another person on his back. Could it be?

"Jake?" Haley asked, bewildered, her question soon answered as she heard a wailing siren ring all throughout the island, even thought it was only coming from the jail.

"Dragon Long!" Haley suddenly turned around as she heard a new voice; an armored guard was walking up to her family. "Dragon Long, your brother and the Huntsgirl have just escaped from their cell."

Despite the fact that there was a guard in front of her, Haley couldn't help but smile. She had been foolish to think that Jake would ever be put down.

It wasn't until the guard had turned and trudged back to the prison did Haley run over to the others and each give them big dragon hugs. After giving Fu the last hug, the entire family, plus Sun and Fu just stood there, smiling.

BLACKOUT; END SEASON

**A/N: So that was the season finale. What did you think? Please drop some reviews. As a heads up, Season/Story 2 will be here in June. **


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